Participants: Charissa Fong
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000018
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00:26 OK, our subject tonight: "Born to Live Forever. "
00:31 Does that sound good to you? 00:32 Sounds pretty good to me. 00:34 And so before we go any further 00:36 let's open with a word of prayer. 00:38 Father in heaven, we thank you for bringing us here again 00:42 tonight. And as we open Your Word 00:44 we pray that Your Holy Spirit would be our silent teacher 00:48 tonight. May You touch our hearts and may we be changed 00:51 tonight... not because we have come together 00:54 but because we have been with Jesus. 00:56 This is my prayer in Jesus' name, Amen. 01:01 One of the saddest stories I have ever read in my life 01:06 was about this man that you can see on your screen right there. 01:09 His name is Hank Williams and he was a country and western 01:13 singer. In 1948 Hank wrote one of his hit songs: 01:18 a song called I Saw The Light. 01:21 Does anybody think that rings a bell? Yes it should. 01:24 It's a good old song. The first stanza of that song 01:27 it goes something like this: 01:44 Now friends, the first line of that stanza 01:47 "I wandered so aimless... life filled with sin. 01:51 I wouldn't let my Dear Savior in... " 01:53 Friends, that first line is really a fitting description 01:57 of the life that Hank Williams lived. 02:00 Biographers tell of a life that was tormented 02:04 by disease, drugs, and alcohol. 02:07 In fact, he died in the back of his Cadillac 02:10 somewhere in West Virginia one night, overdrugged, 02:14 at the young age of 29. 02:17 Near the end of his life while doing a concert in San Diego 02:21 Hank stumbled off the stage - drunk or drugged, 02:25 we don't know - after only two songs. 02:27 His good friend, a lady by the name of Minnie Pearl... 02:31 she and the show's producer, they took Hank 02:34 and they put him in the car and they rushed him around town 02:38 in the car trying to sober him up. 02:40 And as they did... as they went around town 02:44 they tried singing to him this song. "Come on, Hank, 02:47 sing your song. "I wandered so aimless... 02:50 life filled with sin... " 02:51 And as they got to the end of that first stanza 02:55 that was when Williams looked up. And he looked at Minnie 02:58 and he said: "Minnie, I don't see the light! 03:02 There ain't no light. " 03:04 And friends, Hank couldn't see the light. 03:07 And so it is today... there are millions of people 03:11 around our world - millions of people globally... 03:14 world-wide as well as internationally - 03:16 I stole that line from George Bush - 03:18 who cannot see the light. 03:21 Who fail to see a reason to live on 03:25 in a life with an uncharted future which is unknown. 03:29 And perhaps, friends, some of you here tonight... 03:32 you feel a little bit like Hank. 03:35 Well friends, hang in there because Jesus has good news 03:38 for you. Amen? He always has good news for us. 03:42 And He has exciting news for you and I tonight 03:44 because He says: "Listen, I am coming back 03:47 for you because I love you. And when I come back 03:50 for you I am going to take you back to My place 03:53 and you're going to stay and live with Me 03:55 in My home forever. " 03:58 And because we often just talk about heaven as 04:00 being heaven, I thought tonight it would be nice for us 04:04 to start by reminding ourselves of what God's home 04:08 is really like. So let's... let's read what Revelation 04:12 chapter 21 verses 1-5 says: 05:20 Friends, according to the Bible heaven isn't some secret 05:25 that God let slip. Friends, according to the Bible 05:28 heaven is a matter of fact. 05:30 It is going to be quite literally out of this world. 05:34 And in the same way that our world today has seven 05:38 wonders of the ancient world that range from the hanging 05:42 gardens of Babylon to the great pyramids there in Gaza 05:46 so it is, friends, that I believe we can see 05:49 that heaven will have seven wonders of its own. 05:53 Notice with me what they are. 05:59 Friends, not some cloud where disembodied spirits roam 06:03 but a real place for real people. 06:06 We won't be strumming harps for the ceaseless ages 06:09 of eternity. No friends, according to the Bible 06:12 the redeemed are going to find their feet on solid earth. 06:16 Notice what the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 65 verse 21: 06:29 Sounds good to me. 06:31 Again, I Corinthians 2:9: 06:45 And friends, you know some young people... 06:49 they sometimes ask and they say: "Oh, you know, heaven... 06:52 OK... it sounds OK but won't it get a little bit boring 06:56 after a couple of years? A couple of hundred years? " 06:58 Well friends, just remember we are not talking about 07:02 Agatha Christie. We're not talking about Microsoft 07:05 and Bill Gates. We are talking about the God who made people, 07:08 created people like that. 07:10 And so I don't think we have to worry about getting bored 07:13 for the ceaseless ages of eternity. 07:15 Heaven will be very exciting. Amen? Amen. 07:23 Heaven isn't called heaven for no reason at all. 07:26 There will be no dreary deserts. 07:29 No great wastes of water. 07:31 Instead heaven will be one grand showcase of creative 07:35 brilliance and beauty will stretch in every direction. 07:39 It's going to be more beautiful than Taree. 07:42 It's going to be more majestic than the Sydney Harbor. 07:45 It's going to be more wonderful than the Himalayas. 07:48 It's going to look better than the Great Barrier Reef. 07:51 It will be God's wonderland for the saved. 07:55 Unimagined beauty will just be absolutely everywhere. 07:58 How do I know? Because look at how the Bible describes it. 08:02 Revelation chapter 22 verse 1: 08:11 That's going to look much better than the Manning River, Amen? 08:22 Again, what will wonder #3 be? 08:25 Ah, heaven is just so wonderful; there's more to come. 08:32 Friends, we won't have to lock our cars up there. 08:35 Ah, we may not have cars up there... 08:37 But even if we did have cars we wouldn't have to lock them! 08:41 We wouldn't need to have... 08:42 We're not going to need security alarms on our homes. 08:45 We won't need to lock our homes because everybody will be 08:48 content with what God gives to them. 08:52 It's going to be so peaceful, friends, 08:54 that even the animals the Bible says... 08:57 they're going to get along with each other. 08:58 Notice what Isaiah 65:25 says: 09:19 They say that true happiness lies in satisfaction. 09:23 And friends, in heaven there'll be no more grumbling, 09:26 no more complaining, no more discontent. 09:29 Everybody will be satisfied with heaven. 09:32 And friends, how do we know this? Because listen... 09:35 the Bible tells us that: 09:48 Now when I was growing up we used to sing a song often 09:53 and it went something like this: 09:55 With Jesus in the family happy happy home. 09:59 Happy happy home... happy happy home. 10:03 Ah, you know it. With Jesus in the family 10:06 happy happy home... Happy, happy home. 10:12 Well, that's a lovely happy song 10:14 but it is true today that we have a lot of unhappy homes 10:17 in our world, is it not? 10:19 And friend tonight, maybe you have come from an unhappy, 10:22 broken or breaking home. 10:25 Notice that in heaven those things... such a thing will be 10:28 no more because there will be no more unhappiness. 10:32 No more funerals; no more sorrow; no more cemeteries. 10:37 Happiness will be in the air up there in heaven. 10:40 We're going to breathe the stuff, Amen? Amen. 10:52 No more doctors. The blind will see. 10:55 The deaf will hear. The dumb will speak again. 10:59 There will be no more cancer; no more arthritis; 11:02 no more aches and pains; no more fevers; 11:05 no more diabetes. Friends, all of this will be 11:09 no more. Amen? That's good news because listen: 11:13 in our world today we live in a society where people 11:17 spend all of their health for wealth and then they spend 11:20 the rest of their wealth to try and get their health back. 11:23 Because listen: health may not be everything 11:26 but everything is nothing without health. 11:29 And if you've been on a diet then you will know that stress 11:32 is just desserts spelled backwards. 11:35 But friends, in heaven we're not going to have to worry 11:37 about being sick any more because the Bible tells us that 11:41 we're going to be able to eat of the Tree of Life. 11:45 The Bible says here in Revelation: 11:50 ...is up there. And friends, when we eat of that tree 11:53 then our never-ending quest to find the fountain of youth... 11:57 it will stop at last. No more... we won't have to dye our hair. 12:01 We won't have to wear make-up. We'll just kind of look great 12:04 up there! We're going to be healthy at last. 12:06 Isn't that a beautiful picture? 12:09 I love it because that little boy... he's left his wheelchair 12:12 behind and he's gone straight to Jesus. 12:14 THAT is what heaven's going to be like. 12:21 The Bible tells us that when John saw the New Jerusalem 12:24 coming down from God out of heaven 12:27 he was almost speechless. 12:30 And I'm so glad that he didn't lose all of his words 12:32 because otherwise we'd have no idea what it looked like. 12:35 But as he saw it coming down 12:37 he could only describe it as a dazzling jewel 12:41 and this is what he writes. In Revelation 21:11 he says: 12:55 And so friends, what a wonderful wonderful place 12:59 heaven will be. Again: 13:19 Wow, heaven's pretty wonderful. 13:20 We've just seen six wonders of the kingdom. 13:23 But I wonder what the next wonder is. 13:26 Well friends, if you think about it, I don't think you'll have to 13:29 think very long because wonder #7 13:32 has to be the wonder of them all: 13:37 I don't know about you, but this is the best wonder of heaven 13:41 to me. For as William Barclay put it... he said: 13:54 Amen? Amen. 13:55 As someone else said: "Heaven without my Savior 13:58 would be no heaven to me. 14:00 Dim were the walls of jasper and rayless the crystal sea. " 14:04 But friends, we know that God will be there because 14:07 the Bible says that: 14:17 And this just sounds so wonderful to me. Not only that 14:21 but the Bible goes on and tells us in Isaiah 66:23 14:36 Friends, this is the home that God has prepared and waiting 14:41 for you... for those who choose to accept Him as their 14:44 personal Savior and forever Friend. 14:47 He wants you to be there! 14:49 There just remains one question. 14:52 I was invited to speak in a church in Sydney... 14:56 another church in Sydney. 14:57 And so I thought: "What can I talk to them about? " 14:59 I thought: "I'll tell them about heaven. " 15:02 And so I went to this church and I preached a wonderful 15:05 sermon on the kingdom of God... on heaven, 15:08 what heaven will be like. 15:09 And at the end of the service I was shaking peoples' hands. 15:13 And this one dear man... he came out of the church 15:15 and shook my hand and he said: "Charissa, 15:18 that was a fantastic sermon. I just have one question: 15:21 how do I get there? " 15:23 And I thought to myself: "You know what? 15:25 I have just overlooked the MOST IMPORTANT question: 15:29 How on earth do we get to this wonderful place 15:32 that God has prepared for us? " 15:35 Well thankfully, friend, Jesus didn't leave us to wonder 15:39 because He disclosed the directions to the kingdom 15:42 in an incredible encounter that He had once upon a long 15:46 time ago. Let's go to that encounter in the Bible. 15:50 If you want to follow along you can. 15:52 We're going to the book of John. 15:54 John chapter 3 and we begin our story tonight in verse 1. 16:00 And I will put them on the screen, but sometimes 16:03 it's good to see them in the Bible to make sure I'm not 16:05 tricking you. So John chapter 3 verse 1. 16:09 The story happens here in Jerusalem. The Bible says: 16:18 Now friends, here was a religious man 16:21 if there ever was one. 16:24 Word has it that he was probably one of the three 16:27 richest men in all of Jerusalem. 16:30 In fact, some even believe that he was Nicodemus 16:34 ben Gurion... that is, the brother of Josephus. 16:38 Whether or not that is the case 16:40 we don't really know... but it could have been possible. 16:43 And instead of being somebody who we hear a lot of 16:46 in the Bible, incredibly he appears a solitary 3 times 16:51 and only in John's gospel. 16:54 Not much exposure, yes... but more than any of us. 16:58 Nicodemus was a leading Pharisee, and that means 17:01 he was no slouch when it came to the Old Testament. 17:04 Oh, no. He knew the religious... contemporary, religious, 17:08 and political scene like the back of his hand. 17:12 I have a feeling that Nicodemus was the kind of man 17:16 who often appeared in the Daily Telegraph... 17:19 in the Jerusalem Telegraph. He was regularly featured 17:22 on the front page. Perhaps he even had his own column. 17:26 And not only that, he was someone who appeared on the 17:29 evening news very regularly. 17:32 Publicly Nicodemus oozed of religious piety 17:37 and wisdom. But privately 17:41 Nicodemus was perplexed. 17:44 You see, he didn't want to admit it but he felt incomplete. 17:50 There was something missing in his life. 17:55 Oh yes, by day he was cool, calm, and collected. 18:00 If anybody had a religious question they would go and find 18:04 Nicodemus. Because if they could get an answer from him 18:07 then they would have an answer from the crème de la crème 18:10 of scholarship... theological scholarship. 18:13 By day he was cool, calm, and collected 18:16 but by night Nicodemus knew an emptiness in his heart 18:21 and it frightened him. 18:24 And he said that perhaps Jesus had something to do 18:30 with the emptiness that he was feeling inside. 18:33 He had watched Jesus. 18:34 He had watched Him very closely. 18:36 The other Pharisees didn't know because they all didn't like 18:39 Jesus. But Nicodemus had watched Him. 18:41 He'd seen Him in the temple. 18:43 He'd seen Him with the children and he thought to himself: 18:46 "Perhaps Jesus can tell me what I'm missing in my life. 18:50 Perhaps in Jesus I will find what I'm looking for. " 18:55 And so notice what happens in verse 2. The Bible says: 19:11 Friends, that night he saw his opportunity. 19:16 When Nicodemus... he put his children to bed; 19:18 he waited, waited, and waited for his wife to doze off. 19:22 And when she finally did, he picked up his cloak 19:25 and he slipped out of the house. He had to find Jesus. 19:30 He had to put an end to all of these questions 19:33 that were burning in his heart. 19:35 Now he had heard that Jesus often retired 19:39 to the Mount of Olives there... to the garden there. 19:41 And so he thought: "Well, I'll go and look for Him there. " 19:45 And so he made a beeline in that direction. 19:48 And as he entered the garden there in the quiet of night 19:51 he scanned it looking for Jesus. 19:54 And then suddenly he spotted Him over there 19:57 in the distance. And so quietly the Bible tells us 20:01 he walked over to where Jesus sits. 20:04 He clears his throat and he says: "Rabbi... " 20:08 Now friends, have you ever encountered somebody famous 20:12 face to face? 20:15 No? A few, yes... 20:17 Well I have because listen... listen to this: 20:20 Two years ago... I know, it doesn't sound that recent... 20:24 but listen: two years ago I was in the same class 20:28 at university as Ian Thorpe. 20:31 Yes, the real Ian Thorpe. 20:34 Because listen: this is how it happened. 20:36 I was in my class. I was doing linguistics as part of my degree 20:40 and we were sitting there. It was the first tutorial 20:43 of semester. And our tutor... she said: "And by the way, 20:47 Ian Thorpe's going to be in our class for the rest of this 20:50 semester. " And we all said: "Oh yeah, yeah, right. 20:53 Which Ian Thorpe is this? " And she said: 20:54 "Oh, no, no, no. This is the REAL Ian Thorpe. 20:57 This is Ian Thorpe the Olympian. " 20:59 Wow! That was so exciting. 21:01 So we all went home and we couldn't wait 21:04 for the next tutorial the following week. 21:07 A week later I turned up to class a little bit earlier 21:11 than I usually do. 21:12 And when I got there there were all my classmates 21:17 to one side just sitting in a quiet huddle. 21:19 And they were looking at this... this larger-than-life figure 21:24 pacing back and forth. It was Ian Thorpe 21:26 pacing back and forth outside the classroom. 21:29 And I saw that and I knew that they were too shy 21:32 to talk to him. And I am a shy person, too. 21:34 But when I saw Ian Thorpe... I mean, it's not every day 21:37 you brush shoulders with Olympic gold. 21:40 And so I thought: "Look, if I let this opportunity pass by 21:43 I'm going to be kicking myself for the rest of my life. " 21:46 And so I thought: "I'll go... I've got to talk to him. " 21:48 So I went up to him while he was walking back and forth 21:52 and I said: "Excuse me, are you Ian Thorpe? " 21:58 Now if I could rewind that encounter 22:02 there are probably a thousand other things I would have said. 22:05 There are a thousand other questions I could have asked 22:09 him, but in that moment - in that split second 22:12 when I was there face to face in front of this person 22:15 I'd only ever seen on TV - 22:17 that is what I came out with. And yes, he said: 22:20 "Yes, I am Ian Thorpe. " 22:22 And friends, that was just one of the most exciting experiences 22:25 for me because, you know, I got to sit behind him in class. 22:29 And I remember one day he forgot his notes 22:32 and so I said: " Hey, Ian... " Tapped him on the shoulder. 22:35 "Ian... " I called him by his first name. 22:38 Said: "Ian, read my notes. " 22:40 And so he took them and he used my notes. 22:42 And for people who don't actually believe me 22:46 that I was in the same class as Ian Thorpe I took a picture 22:49 of his back while we were in a lecture theatre 22:52 on my mobile phone to prove that I really did encounter him. 22:56 The big "Thorpedo. " Well friends, 22:58 why am I telling you this? Because listen, the point is: 23:02 when we encounter people for whom we have a deep respect 23:07 for... for whom we have a deep appreciation for 23:11 or admiration for... we often don't know what to say to them. 23:14 I mean, we're just sort of speechless. 23:16 We're so nervous; we're so speechless. 23:18 And friends, for Nicodemus it really was no different 23:22 in this situation. Because listen: like me 23:25 Nicodemus opened his mouth and he makes a huge mistake. 23:30 Because instead of telling Jesus... asking Jesus 23:34 his question saying: "Lord, I have a problem. 23:37 What's wrong with my heart? " 23:39 Nicodemus... he opens his mouth and he avoids that altogether. 23:43 He is so used to playing the role of a strong person 23:48 who knows all the answers that he makes no mention 23:53 of the emptiness that he feels within 23:56 and he avoids the darkness of his own soul. 24:00 But friends, Jesus saw through the pleasantries. 24:03 He always does. 24:04 And through the darkness of night Jesus sees behind 24:08 the mask of this polite, correct, religious official 24:13 person the restlessness of his soul. 24:17 What Nicodemus needed was not an answer. 24:20 Jesus knew that. He didn't need an answer... 24:22 he needed an experience. 24:25 And oh how Jesus longed for Nicodemus 24:30 to receive the peace that he so longed for. 24:33 Nicodemus had been performing all his life and Jesus knew it. 24:38 And so now it was time for Nicodemus to drop the pose 24:42 and own the truth. And notice... notice what Jesus says to him 24:47 next: 25:02 Now I love my sleep. 25:05 And I said that because I know I'm in good company. Amen? 25:08 But if there's one thing that I hate in my sleep 25:12 it is the sound of an alarm. Why? Because it interrupts you. 25:17 It annoys you. It startles you! 25:20 And friends, when Nicodemus hears these words fall from 25:24 the Savior's lips he hears the sound of an alarm. 25:28 Because that... He had not asked Jesus anything to do 25:32 with what Jesus had said. He had not seen this coming. 25:36 "Except a man be born again 25:39 he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven? " 25:42 Oh, maybe he hadn't heard Jesus correctly. 25:46 Because after all here he was hands down perhaps the most 25:50 religious person in all of Jerusalem 25:53 and yet Jesus was saying to him he has to be born again? 25:57 Ah, that born again stuff... that was for sinners! 26:01 That was for Gentiles but not saints... and especially 26:05 not saints as saintly as himself. 26:07 And so he asked Jesus for more clarification. 26:11 He says here in verses 4 and 5: 26:38 I'll say that last verse once more: 27:02 There you have it, friends... there you have it. 27:05 Jesus repeats His answer for Nicodemus. 27:08 Jesus is insistent... Jesus is absolute. 27:13 There are no two ways about it. 27:16 We must be born of water and of the Spirit 27:19 if we are to call heaven our home. 27:24 But why does Jesus say that we must be born again 27:28 in order to enter the kingdom of God? 27:31 I mean: "Isn't salvation meant to be free, Charissa? " 27:35 Yes it is, because remember what the Bible says: 27:49 "See, Charissa... salvation's free! 27:52 Heaven should be free. " 27:54 That's what I thought too. In fact, I have to confess 27:56 to you that when I got to this point in our story of Nicodemus 28:00 when I was studying and I thought 28:02 "Why is Jesus saying there's something we have to do 28:05 in order to inherit the kingdom of God? " 28:08 But friends, as I kept studying and as I kept reading 28:11 I discovered the answer. 28:13 And friends, the answer is so surprising, 28:16 it is so exciting because notice what else the Bible says. 28:20 Before we notice it... Have you ever wished 28:23 that life had a delete function? 28:26 Have you ever wished that there was just this imaginary button 28:29 somewhere that you could press and when you did you could 28:32 wipe out all the mistakes of your past 28:34 and all of your guilt and all of your shame and all of your 28:38 history and all of your sin? It could be just washed away 28:42 and you could have a fresh start? 28:44 Have you ever wanted that? 28:45 Well friends, this fresh start 28:47 that you've always only ever dreamt about... 28:50 that is exactly what Jesus is inviting us to experience 28:55 when He says: "You must be born again. " 28:57 Because we need to learn to let go and let God. 29:02 You see Nicodemus... he thought he had it all worked out. 29:06 He thought that because he was so religious 29:09 he had earned his way into heaven. 29:11 For him - being a Jew and the religious one - he had an 29:14 automatic entrance into heaven. 29:17 But friends, Jesus was trying to remind Nicodemus 29:20 that he was a sinner. He had broken God's law, 29:26 and like every other sinner on the face of this earth 29:29 the results - the consequences - for his sins 29:32 were exactly the same as everyone else: 29:35 he deserved to die. 29:37 Now friends, I was doing some "prac" teaching out in a school 29:42 towards the western side of Sydney last year. 29:46 And when I came home on my first day I had a thousand 29:49 things going through my head. 29:51 Teachers are under a lot of stress, and I praise God 29:53 for teachers. Amen? 29:55 All the teachers said "Amen. " 29:57 OK. So I really really appreciate what teachers do... 30:01 particularly after watching them. 30:03 And so I came to the train station after observing 30:06 the students at the school that I was at. 30:09 And I was so engrossed in my thoughts. The train pulled up 30:13 and so I moved to where the doors were. 30:15 And I stood outside the doors 30:16 and the doors opened and this man... he literally 30:21 charged off the train and he clipped me on the shoulder 30:24 as he stormed past me. 30:26 He was like a bull let out of a stable. 30:28 And I spun around and watched him storm off in the distance. 30:32 And my first reaction was: "How dare he do that? " 30:35 Then my second reaction was: "Well no. Maybe he's just 30:38 had a bad day. " 30:39 And so the next day came. Again I was so engrossed 30:43 in my thoughts I was standing there in the train station. 30:45 Train pulled up. Without thinking I moved to the doors. 30:49 I left space so people could get out. 30:51 But the doors opened and this same man... 30:54 he clipped me on the shoulder again. 30:56 That's when I realized he wasn't just having a bad day... 30:59 maybe it was a bad week. 31:01 So I thought to myself: "Well, tomorrow 31:03 I will not allow him to do this to me again. " 31:05 So the next day came. I went to the train station. 31:09 Train pulled up. I knew which door this man was going to 31:12 come out of so I stood to the side. 31:14 The door opened. The man charged out 31:17 and he missed me. And I was so excited, you know? 31:20 He missed me. I worked him out like a book. 31:23 And so I did that and he continued to miss me 31:26 for the next few days that I was there. 31:29 But then one day I came back to the train station 31:32 and I just had a very big day and I'm standing there 31:35 and I forgot about this man on the train. 31:37 So I moved to the doors and I stood right in front of them. 31:41 And this time when he charged off he hit me full on. 31:45 Now friends, that man was stuck in what I would call 31:49 a rut. Every single day was just the same for him. 31:53 And you know what he needed? He needed a change of heart. 31:57 We could say he almost needed to be "born again. " 31:59 And the reason I tell you that story is because 32:01 friends, I think what he did every single day 32:04 is a perfect illustration of human nature. 32:08 Because friends, you and I... we are stuck in a rut 32:11 and it's called sin. 32:14 But friends, the good news about this is that the same God 32:17 who created this world and all the beauty in it, 32:21 that same God... He has the power to re-create your heart, 32:26 to re-create your life, to cleanse you from sin. 32:30 So that just as when a baby is born 32:33 it has no say so in the matter so too when we are born again. 32:38 It is God, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, 32:42 who changes us and not we ourselves. 32:46 'Cause after all... have you ever met a baby 32:49 who gave birth to itself? 32:51 No! We can't give birth to ourselves. 32:54 And so it is with God. We can't change our hearts... 32:57 that is something that God has to do for us. 33:01 This is why I Peter 1:23 says: 33:16 Friends, Longfellow - that man there on the far left... 33:19 he could take a worthless sheet of paper, 33:22 he could write a beautiful poem on it, and when he was finished 33:26 that piece of paper was worth $6,000. 33:29 That's what I call genius. 33:31 The guy next to him - Rockefeller... 33:33 he could sign his name to a piece of paper 33:36 and make it worth millions of dollars. 33:38 Well that's what I call capital. 33:40 A mechanic can take a material, a piece of material worth $5, 33:45 do something to it and make it worth $50. 33:48 That's skill. 33:50 An artist can take a 50 cent canvas and paint a picture on it 33:54 and when they're finished it can be worth $1,000. 33:58 That's art. But friends, only God 34:02 can take the heart of a sinner, 34:05 of someone who feels they have a worthless, sinful life, 34:09 and only He can wash it in the blood of the Lamb, 34:13 send His Spirit to live in that person's heart 34:16 and make that person a blessing to humanity. 34:19 Friends, only God can do that and that is salvation. 34:24 And friends, when the Holy Spirit was poured out 34:27 on the Day of Pentecost 34:29 when Peter had finished preaching one of the most 34:31 powerful sermons in all of human history 34:34 the Bible tells us that the listeners that were listening 34:37 to him... they were so stirred up in their hearts - 34:40 the Bible says they were "pricked in their hearts" - 34:42 and this is what they said: 34:47 In other words, "How can we be saved? " 34:50 And Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit... 34:53 he says these wonderful words. He says: 35:07 Now friends, repentance in our society today 35:11 often has some pretty negative connotations. 35:13 If someone says to you "Repent! " 35:15 well it's almost like we all become echidnas 35:17 and we turn our backs to them and we raise our little... 35:20 what do you call them? Those spikes or their quills. 35:23 Yes, we don't like the word repentance. 35:25 But friends, repentance is nothing to be ashamed of. 35:28 Peter's call on that day was for the people to be 35:32 truly converted. Because as they had seen the power of God 35:37 and as they had experienced the power of the Word of God 35:39 in their hearts and they had become aware 35:43 of their personal deficiencies, they had seen themselves 35:47 the way God sees them and they had seen their sin. 35:50 But friends, the Bible says in I John 1:9: 36:06 Friends, no matter what we've done, 36:09 no matter what kind of past or history you or I may have 36:13 tonight... You may feel you're the most terrible sinner 36:16 in the world and God couldn't save you. 36:20 Friends, notice that He can. 36:23 Jesus has the power to change your life. 36:26 When you accept Him, when you confess your sins, 36:28 when you come to Him in repentance, then you can receive 36:32 the gift of salvation. 36:34 And friends, the Bible tells us that when Jesus forgives 36:37 He forgets. And the Bible says He removes our sins 36:41 as far as the east is from the west. 36:43 You tell me how far they are apart... 36:44 there's no end to their "apartness. " 36:47 Friends, God can remove your sin. 36:49 And maybe some of you feel tonight that your sin is 36:52 too great for God to forgive. 36:54 Well friends, listen to the words of D. L. Moody. 36:56 He said: 37:03 That's the first thing. And by the way, friends, 37:05 repentance is a gift. 37:07 In the book of Acts - and let's just look this up - 37:09 Acts chapter 5 verse 31 37:12 we can't even repent of our own selves. 37:15 We need God to help us repent. 37:18 Acts chapter 5 verse 31 the Bible says: 37:23 "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and 37:28 Savior to... " What? "to give repentance 37:32 to Israel and forgiveness of sins. " 37:35 That's Acts chapter 5 and verse 31. 37:37 God can give us the gift of repentance, 37:40 and I think that is also good news. 37:42 That the first part... 37:43 that's the first tenor of Peter's message down the Day of 37:47 Pentecost. The second tenor of his message had something 37:50 to do with baptism. What is baptism? 37:53 Well... is it important? Mark chapter 16 verse 16 37:56 the Bible says: 38:06 Now friends, the English word baptize comes from the Greek 38:10 word baptizo... which simply means to immerse. 38:13 And when the Bible uses the word baptism 38:16 in the Bible it means exactly that: 38:19 to bury beneath water. 38:21 Now Christians today debate quite vehemently 38:26 what baptism really is in the Bible. 38:28 They say there are a thousand different ways of doing it. 38:31 And some of them don't even believe it's important at all. 38:34 Today we have many methods of baptism, don't we? 38:38 We've got sprinkling; we've got pouring; 38:40 we've got dunking; we've got total immersion; 38:43 infant baptism. And listen to this... 38:45 I only just discovered this the other day... 38:47 there's even a method called the "dry cleaning method" 38:51 where you can be baptized over the phone. 38:54 Isn't that incredible? 38:56 The story is told of a pastor who gathered his converts 38:58 together in Baltimore Street and he turned the fire hose on them 39:02 and baptized them all there in the street. 39:04 Or another pastor... he was in the shopping center. 39:07 He met a woman. They started talking 39:09 and she said: "Pastor, you have to baptize me 39:11 right here and right now. " And so he did... 39:14 with Coca-Cola. 39:16 Friends, people have made a mockery of baptism today. 39:20 So what does the Bible really say? Well, 39:24 according to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 5 39:27 the Bible says that there is: 39:36 And friends, according to the Bible 39:39 the baptism of the Bible - Biblical baptism - 39:42 it involves a lot of water. How do I know that? 39:45 Because John... when John was baptizing the Bible says: 40:00 And so friends, there is much water in Bible baptism. 40:04 Paul described its symbolism in this way. 40:07 Why is it important? He says: 40:35 Friends, baptism is a symbol of the death and burial 40:40 and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 40:42 It is a symbol of burying that old life behind. 40:46 That old life with all of that history and past 40:50 and rising up to newness of life in Jesus Christ. 40:54 Is there a good reason why we should be baptized 40:57 if you don't think that's a good enough reason? 40:59 Well friends, Jesus was baptized. 41:02 And by the way, He wasn't a baby when He was baptized 41:05 either. This is how the Bible describes His baptism: 41:26 Friends, when Jesus was baptized He was fully immersed 41:30 under the water. 41:31 Did Jesus need baptism to wash away His guilt? 41:35 No... Jesus was not a sinner. So why then was He baptized? 41:39 Notice what II Corinthians 5:21 says: 41:46 You see friends, Jesus identified Himself 41:50 with you and I. And when He did He took the steps that you and I 41:55 need to take. He left for you a perfect example to follow. 42:01 That's why Jesus was baptized. 42:03 And friends, when He went back to heaven - just before He did - 42:06 He gave the Great Commission. And this is what He said: 42:29 Friends, baptism is vitally important. 42:32 Let me say that again: baptism is vitally important. 42:36 Jesus began His public ministry on this earth by being 42:40 baptized, and just as He finishes His public ministry 42:43 on earth He gives emphasis to baptism yet again. 42:48 He goes and He commands us to go into all the world. 42:51 Teach them the gospel. And when we have taught them 42:54 then we are to baptize them. 42:56 And friends, what Jesus emphasized I dare not 42:59 de-emphasize. 43:01 Because of all the tremendous things He could have placed 43:03 emphasis on, think of the emphasis Jesus has placed 43:08 on baptism... this teaching right here. 43:11 And so it is tonight, friends, God says this to you. 43:14 He says: "Listen, if you're going to call heaven home, 43:17 then allow Me to truly be Lord of your life. 43:20 Allow Me to come into your heart. 43:23 Allow Me to be your forever Friend. Confess your sin 43:27 and allow Me to forgive you. 43:29 And then when you've done that, go and bury that old life 43:32 of yours and then come and walk in newness of life. " 43:37 And friend, you don't make a pickle by taking a cucumber 43:40 and sprinkling a little bit of vinegar on it, do you? 43:43 You immerse it! Amen? 43:45 And so it is, friends, when a person is baptized 43:48 when you want to wash away your past, I don't know about you 43:51 but I don't want my past just sprinkled. 43:53 I want it totally buried. I want it gone, don't you? 43:57 And so a little boy... he came to his pastor and he said: 44:01 "Pastor, I want to get advertised. " 44:04 Now he meant to say "I want to get baptized" 44:08 but friends he makes a wonderful point 44:10 because you know what? Baptism is really just 44:13 advertising that you've chosen Jesus Christ. 44:16 It is advertising that you belong to Jesus. Amen. 44:21 And friends, there may be some of you here tonight 44:23 that need to get "advertised. " 44:25 Well friends, you can make that decision tonight. 44:27 Say "Lord, I choose to follow You... " and advertise it. 44:31 And then there may be others here tonight - 44:34 some of you who have followed the Lord 44:36 but during your discipleship to Jesus Christ 44:39 somehow along the way you lost your way 44:41 and your discipleship was short-lived - 44:44 friends, tonight you can choose to get "re-advertised" 44:47 for Jesus Christ. Because the Bible says 44:50 in Psalm 51 verses 10, 16, and 17 44:55 I mean it's just like a marriage ceremony, isn't it? 44:57 When two people get married they're demonstrating publicly 45:00 to the universe that they are becoming a family. 45:03 And so it is that Psalms says... the Psalmist writes: 45:27 Amen? Friends, God wanted to be present to Nicodemus. 45:32 He wanted Nicodemus to see what I am just sharing with you now. 45:36 Nicodemus needed to let go of his own self-righteousness, 45:40 self-security, and open his heart up to God. 45:44 And so Jesus continues in the book of John, verses 6-8, 45:49 the Bible says: 46:11 Friends, and just as you and I can hear the wind 46:14 rustling through the leaves in the tree and you can't 46:17 see the wind but you see its effects 46:19 so it is that God works on your heart. 46:23 You may not be able to see it 46:25 but friends, He is there. He is working on your heart. 46:28 An unseen hand is working in your life 46:31 and Christ is constantly working upon your heart. 46:34 He is working to transform your life. 46:37 And when He has... when He does and as He does... 46:40 you become a citizen of heaven 46:43 as you allow Him to work on your heart. 46:47 Can you describe to another person how to ride a bicycle? 46:51 You've really got to experience it for yourself in order to know 46:54 what it really feels like. And friends, so it is 46:57 with Nicodemus. Jesus was trying to communicate to Nicodemus 47:01 that true experience doesn't stem from knowing 47:04 what everybody else knows. 47:06 It stems from an experience - a personal, heartfelt 47:10 experience with Jesus Christ. 47:12 And friends, the Bible doesn't tell us what happened 47:16 after this encounter on that night long ago. 47:19 But friends, I have a sneaking suspicion that John had the 47:23 privilege of baptizing Nicodemus. 47:26 I'd like to think that's how the story ends. 47:28 And that night when Nicodemus got home 47:31 after what had been the most amazing encounter of his life 47:35 the words of Jesus kept ringing in his head. 47:56 Friends, for God so loved the world He did not send 47:59 a committee. Amen? 48:01 He sent Himself. 48:03 And Jesus' call to be born again of water and the Spirit 48:07 is, friends, an invitation to all of us tonight as well. 48:11 Jesus is inviting you and I to be His companions 48:14 on the road of self-surrender and travel that path with Him 48:19 to find true peace. 48:21 Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to see what he offered. 48:25 Little did he realize that Jesus would ask him 48:28 to give himself... to offer himself. 48:31 Jesus wasn't calling Nicodemus to give birth to himself. 48:35 He was calling Nicodemus to allow Him 48:38 to change his life and make him a new creature. 48:42 And friends, sometimes the problem with us is right here: 48:55 That had been Nicodemus' problem. 48:57 And friends, so it is that many people... they never experience 49:01 the fullness of God's power in their lives 49:04 because they choose only to make a partial surrender 49:07 of their hearts to God. 49:09 And friends, God can only fill your life 49:11 to the extent that you are willing to empty it. 49:15 Can only fill your life to the extent that you are willing 49:18 to empty it. I think of Mary Magdalene. 49:20 We talked about Mary and Martha and Lazarus. 49:23 Well that's that Mary... Mary right there. 49:25 The Bible tells us she was a prostitute. 49:28 Seven times Jesus cast demons out of her. 49:32 And you know what? He could have said after the third time 49:35 "Mary, that's it. Your eternal life is gone. 49:38 You have no more hope. " But friends, each time 49:41 when He did that for her He welcomed her back 49:44 with open arms. And Mary... 49:46 the Bible says she was so amazed at what Jesus did for her 49:50 that His grace was so full and free 49:53 and offered to her, a sinner, as well 49:56 that she went out and she spent all that she had 49:58 on a beautiful ointment. On buy- ing a very expensive perfume. 50:03 And when Jesus was at somebody's house for dinner 50:06 she slipped into that house. 50:08 She knelt at His feet and she broke that expensive ointment 50:12 on the feet of Jesus and then she wiped His feet 50:15 with her hair. And when she did, friends, 50:19 Mary anointed Jesus Christ as the King of her life. 50:23 She gave everything for Jesus. 50:26 And friend, it might sound weird to you tonight, 50:29 it might sound absurd, but listen: 50:32 if we are going to call heaven home, 50:34 if we are going to truly follow Jesus, 50:36 then it will require our all as well. 50:41 The Bible tells us in Revelation 3 and verse 20: 50:57 And friends, if the One who offers to you eternal life 51:00 is outside the door, do you leave Him outside that door? 51:03 No. The most wonderful thing you can do is open the door 51:06 of your heart and allow Jesus to give you that free gift 51:10 that He offers and say: "Thank you, Jesus. 51:13 Thank you for washing me in the blood... in Your precious blood. 51:17 Thank you for offering to me eternal life 51:19 and a fresh new start. " 51:21 The Bible says in II Corinthians 5 verse 17: 51:34 And again this quote right here: 51:46 In closing tonight I want to share with you one of my most 51:49 favorite stories from one of my most favorite evangelists. 51:53 The story goes like this. He was in New York City 51:56 running an evangelistic campaign. 51:58 And every night the people were coming out. 52:00 And as he would preach every night there was this lady 52:03 who sat in the same spot every night. 52:06 And for some reason she just caught his attention 52:09 every night. He'd be looking and trying to look at everyone 52:12 but he always ended up looking at this lady over here. 52:15 And it was probably because she was an Afro-American lady 52:18 and she had a great big golden Afro. 52:21 And so he'd be preaching and he kept looking at this lady 52:24 over here. Well, after the program 52:27 he went to the door. And as he was shaking peoples' hands 52:29 the lady came out. And he asked her... he said: 52:32 "Ah, hello. Did you enjoy the meetings? " 52:34 She said: "Yes. " He said: "What's your name? " 52:35 She said: "My name's Goldie. " 52:37 He thought: "Well that's fitting" 'cause she had lovely 52:40 gold hair. And so he said: "Will I see you tomorrow night? " 52:43 She said: "Oh, yes. " And so she kept coming to the 52:45 meetings. And one night the pastor said to her... he said: 52:48 "Look, Goldie, could I visit you in your home? " 52:51 And when he asked that her expression changed. 52:54 "Oh, no, " she said, "Pastor, I don't want you to come 52:57 to my home. Look, I'll just keep coming to the meetings. " 53:00 And as she walked away that night 53:02 the pastor didn't quite know why she didn't want him 53:05 at her home but he respected her decision. 53:08 And as she was walking away a deacon in the church... 53:11 he ran up to the pastor and he said: "Pastor, 53:13 do you know who that is? " 53:15 He said: "Well yes I know who that is: that's Goldie. " 53:17 He said: "No, no, no. That's the prostitute from 145th Street. " 53:21 And how the deacon knew we don't know. 53:23 But the pastor said to himself, he said to himself: "Wow, 53:28 really? I've got to go and visit her. " 53:30 And so he went home to his wife that night. He said: 53:32 "Honey, " he said, "I'm going to visit the prostitute 53:34 on 145th Street, do you want to come? " 53:37 She said: "Yes. " And so they hopped in the car 53:40 and they went to visit Goldie. 53:42 They got to her address. It was an apartment building, 53:45 and so he asked someone down- stairs: "Do you know who 53:48 Goldie is? Do you know where she lives? " 53:50 "Oh, yes, she's up there on this particular level. " 53:52 So he and his wife... they made their way up 53:54 to Goldie's apartment. 53:56 And when they got there there was a line of customers 53:59 outside the door. The pastor... he walked past them all, 54:02 got to the door, and he knocked. 54:04 "Goldie, it's me. " And the door opened just a little bit. 54:08 She said: "OK, I'll be back with you in just a moment. " 54:10 She closed the door, and then a couple of minutes later 54:13 someone walked out and Goldie said: "Please, come inside. " 54:16 The pastor went in and his wife went in 54:21 and for a moment they all just stood there 54:23 looking at each other. 54:24 And after a while, Goldie began to cry. 54:28 And as she began to cry the pastor said: "Listen Goldie, 54:32 this isn't the life for you. You deserve so much better. 54:36 Listen, God can give you a better life than this. 54:38 God can change your life. You don't have to live this way. 54:41 She said: "But Pastor, I don't know how to love anyone; 54:44 I don't know how to love any more. " 54:46 "Well you can love God. " 54:47 And he was trying to think of what he could say to her 54:50 and help her to understand. And as Goldie was sobbing 54:54 she suddenly started to compose herself. 54:57 And as she did she looked up and she said: "Pastor, 55:00 I just remembered something... 55:02 a song that I remember hearing when I used to go to church 55:05 with Mom as a little girl. " 55:08 And she began to sing it. And the words she sang 55:11 went something like this: 55:12 "Jesus loves me, this I know, 55:15 for the Bible tells me so. " And as those notes, those words 55:20 were leaving her lips in that beautiful Negro spiritual strain 55:24 the pastor said: "Yes, Goldie. That's it. 55:27 Jesus loves you, this I know. " 55:30 Friends, Goldie summed it all up in those words. 55:34 That is the message of the Bible. 55:36 And friends, a few weeks later Goldie, after having studied 55:40 with that pastor, she was baptized. Amen? 55:43 She became a follower of Jesus Christ. 55:46 And friends, if God can take someone like Goldie, 55:50 if He can wash her past away and change her heart, 55:54 if He can take someone like Goldie and if He can reach 55:58 through the cold religious piety of someone like Nicodemus 56:02 then don't you think tonight that God can change your life 56:06 as well? Nothing is impossible for Jesus. 56:10 He can change your heart. 56:12 All you have to do is open the door to Him. 56:16 The Bible says in Acts 22 verse 16: 56:28 I'm going to invite you to make some decisions in just a moment. 56:31 But before I do, let's pray. 56:34 Father in heaven, We thank you, Lord, 56:36 that You want to give us a brand new life. 56:39 That You offer to wash away our past 56:42 and make us into newborn people who love You 56:46 and who can serve You. Lord, tonight 56:48 there are some of us here who need to make decisions 56:51 to truly follow Jesus Christ. 56:53 We want to call heaven home and so I pray, Lord, 56:56 that Your Holy Spirit will work on our hearts now 56:59 as we make decisions for You. In Jesus' name, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17