Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox
Series Code: GMTB
Program Code: GMTB000005
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00:21 Well good evening and welcome to Thompsonville, Illinois,
00:25 and to the Worship Center here 00:27 at Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 00:30 And from this site 00:32 we are bringing you Give Me The Bible 00:35 with Pastor Kenneth Cox. 00:37 And you know, the Bible is certainly where we find 00:41 the answers to all of the questions that we have 00:44 concerning life... 00:46 the most important questions, for sure. 00:48 And Pastor Cox is going to be covering some subjects 00:52 throughout this entire year one weekend a month 00:56 he'll be covering these subjects in depth. 00:59 So you will be having the opportunity 01:02 to really get into God's Word. 01:05 Tonight the subject is Born Again, 01:08 and this is a basic subject. 01:11 As someone has said this first weekend is Salvation 101 01:15 where we are explaining the basics of salvation. 01:18 It's especially good for those who are new Christians... 01:22 those who have never accepted Christ. 01:24 But those of us who have known the Lord for many years 01:28 find that this is a great review. 01:31 And tonight we invite you to join as Pastor Kenneth Cox 01:35 brings us this very important message. 01:38 But before we listen to Pastor Cox, 01:41 we're going to enjoy a song by Jim Rhodes and Dona Klein 01:46 entitled "Give The World A Smile. " 03:28 Amen, amen. Did you enjoy that? 03:32 Thank you. Thank you Jimmy; thank you Dona. 03:35 Appreciate it very, very much. 03:37 And good evening to each of you. 03:39 Very happy to welcome all of you 03:41 and to welcome all of our audience that is watching by 03:45 television or listening by radio. 03:47 We appreciate you being with us. 03:49 We hope this series has been 03:51 a blessing to you 03:52 in a special way. 03:53 We've been very, very happy 03:55 to have the opportunity to take a look at God's Word. 03:59 Give Me The Bible. 04:02 That's what we want to know about. 04:04 In this particular series we have looked at the question of 04:07 salvation. We've been taking it step by step 04:10 through the different points of salvation, 04:12 and tonight we're looking at Born Again. 04:16 Now we started out talking about the grace of God. 04:19 And we looked at the grace of God. Then we looked at 04:22 what the Bible had to say about repentance. 04:24 And then we found out how confession fit into it. 04:28 And then we looked at faith and acceptance. 04:31 A person that goes through that should understand how to 04:35 accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. 04:39 Once you have done that, the scripture says, 04:42 you're born again. 04:43 When you're born again, certain things happen, 04:46 and that's what we're going to look at tonight. 04:48 And we hope that you'll watch for it as we talk about 04:51 what happens when you're born again. 04:53 What takes place? Does that change my life? 04:57 What happens to me? 04:58 Those are some of the questions we are going to be looking at 05:01 as we talk about born again. 05:04 But we want to know what the Bible has to say. 05:07 What says the Bible, the blessed Bible? 05:09 This my only question be. 05:13 The teachings of men so often mislead us. 05:16 What says the Bible to me? 05:18 That's what we're going to be looking at in our next series. 05:23 Our next series is going to be on the second coming 05:26 of Jesus Christ. 05:27 That what we're going to look at. 05:29 What does the Bible say about Jesus coming back? 05:32 The promises that are in God's Word 05:35 concerning the coming of Christ. 05:37 Want to see what that has to say. 05:39 We're going to take a look at the nearness of Christ's return. 05:43 We are going to take a look at the signs of Christ's return. 05:46 We are going to take a look at the manner in which Jesus Christ 05:49 is coming back. 05:51 All those we're going to be looking at. 05:53 And so we hope that you'll be blessed in a special way 05:56 as we take a look at God's Word. 05:58 And be sure and join us this next month as we go into this 06:04 new series on the second coming of Jesus Christ. 06:09 Appreciated so much having Jimmy and Pam Rhodes, 06:13 Dona Klein here playing and singing for us. 06:17 I know that you've been blessed in a special way. 06:19 And we hope that you will continue to be blessed 06:23 as Pam sings for you. 06:40 Everybody needs a little help 06:44 sometimes. 06:46 No one stands alone. 06:51 Makes no difference if you're just a child 06:56 like me, or a king upon a throne. 07:03 For there are no 07:06 exceptions, 07:10 we all stand in the night. 07:16 Everybody needs a friend, 07:21 let me tell you of mine. 07:28 He's my forever friend. 07:34 My leave-me-never friend. 07:40 From darkest night to rainbow's end 07:48 He's my forever friend. 07:56 Even when I turn away He cares for me. 08:02 His love no one can shake. 08:07 Even as I walk away He's by my side 08:14 with every breath I take. 08:19 And sometimes I forget Him, 08:25 my halo fails to shine. 08:31 Sometimes I'm not His friend 08:37 but He is always mine. 08:45 He's my forever friend. 08:51 My leave-me-never friend. 08:56 From darkest night 08:59 to rainbow's end 09:04 He's my forever friend. 09:12 If you still don't know the one I'm talking of, 09:18 I think it's time you knew. 09:24 Long ago and far away upon a cross 09:30 my friend died for you. 09:35 So if you'd like to meet Him 09:41 and don't know what to do. 09:48 Ask my friend into your heart 09:53 and He'll be your friend too. 10:01 He's my forever friend. 10:06 My leave-me-never friend. 10:12 From darkest night 10:15 to rainbow's end 10:20 He's my forever friend. 10:26 He's my forever 10:32 friend. 10:58 Heavenly Father, this evening we come to You 11:03 placing our lives in Your hands, 11:07 asking for Your guidance, Your direction. 11:11 Praying, Lord, that as we open Your Word 11:14 that You will give us understanding. 11:17 That the Holy Spirit will give us enlightenment. 11:22 That we each might understand and know 11:27 how to walk with You day by day. 11:30 This we pray in Christ's name, Amen. 11:39 Let's suppose tonight that you're very, very wealthy. 11:46 Not only are you very wealthy 11:49 but God has blessed you 11:52 and you have a very, very remarkable personality. 11:58 People are just drawn to you, 12:01 and you have a nice way of meeting people and all. 12:05 Not only that, but God has endowed you with a very high IQ. 12:11 You're very, very intelligent. 12:14 And because of your personality, 12:16 because of your wealth, 12:20 because of your intelligence 12:21 you have risen to one of the highest offices in the country. 12:26 At the same time that this is happening 12:29 that you've risen to that office 12:32 there's another person... same period of time... 12:36 He also has a magnetic personality 12:40 and people are attracted to Him. 12:43 And intelligent? 12:45 I mean, they come... they flock from everywhere 12:49 just to listen to Him talk. 12:52 Except there's a difference. 12:54 Uh, He's poor. 12:58 He doesn't have any money. 13:01 And also sometimes He says things 13:07 that just don't set right with the establishment. 13:11 They don't like it too well. 13:14 And because of this, some of your colleagues 13:18 have said: "Well, He's devil-possessed, " you know. 13:22 But you have been strangely drawn to Him, 13:25 and the things that you have heard Him say 13:28 just touched your heart 13:30 and you wanted to be able to find out more. 13:34 So now you know why Nicodemus went to Jesus by night. 13:39 Talked to Him. Said: "We know that You are a teacher 13:42 that's come from God. " 13:44 And as He talked with Nicodemus, 13:47 Jesus went right to the heart of the matter. 13:51 And He said here in John the third chapter: 14:04 He said: "Nicodemus, you have to be born again 14:08 or you can't see the kingdom of God. " 14:11 And Nicodemus said to Him: 14:13 "You know, what are You talking about? " 14:38 I hope you are putting together what Jesus is saying. 14:42 He said: "Unless you're born again, 14:46 you can't enter the kingdom of God. " 14:49 That is an absolute requirement. 14:51 You can't get in there unless you have been born again. 14:54 You can't get in there tonight, friend, by going to church. 15:00 Can't get there that way. 15:03 The only way you're going to get into the kingdom of God 15:06 is you've got to be born again. 15:10 That's clear, and we don't need to try to take it any other way. 15:14 You have to be born again to enter the kingdom of God. 15:18 Necessary. 15:28 Put that text down. 15:31 When Jesus said that, He was stating a truth 15:35 that you need to understand. 15:37 That "that which is born of flesh is flesh; 15:40 that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. " 15:51 Now, being born again, folks, 15:56 doesn't always mean that you're aware of it 16:01 because watch what Jesus has to say here: 16:22 They... doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be 16:28 struck by lightning. 16:32 That's what it's saying. Doesn't mean you necessarily 16:34 going to be struck by lightning 16:35 because sometimes it happens and people aren't even aware 16:41 that something has taken place. 16:43 Excuse me for getting to the vernacular in taking about it. 16:47 But we're talking about being born again. 16:50 Just like there's women that get pregnant and don't know it. 16:54 OK? There's people that are born again... 16:57 the same thing happens: they're born again. 17:00 They didn't have some fantastic feeling. 17:04 They weren't struck by lightning or anything like that, 17:08 but it took place and they were born again. 17:12 Same here is what Jesus is talking about. 17:14 If you want to understand what Jesus was talking about 17:18 when He was talking to Nicodemus and said: 17:20 "you must be born again, " 17:21 you kind of have to put yourself in the place of God. 17:26 What do I mean by that? 17:29 What I mean by that is let's say that you have the ability 17:34 to create. 17:37 OK? You can create. 17:39 Now if you have the ability to create, 17:43 you have to decide how you're going to create. 17:47 Because you have that ability, therefore, if you're going to 17:50 make something, you've got to decide 17:52 how you're going to make it. 17:55 So when God decided to make man 17:58 He had to make certain decisions how He was going to make us. 18:03 And it says this: 18:12 So the scripture is very clear. 18:14 God made a decision, said: "We're going to make man 18:17 in Our image, in Our likeness. " 18:28 God made them in His image. 18:32 Well if you tonight are in the image of God... 18:37 OK? That's what the scripture says it is... 18:40 Then what is God like? 18:43 You're created in the image of God, in His likeness. 18:48 What is God like? 18:49 Well the scripture tell us what He's like 18:52 because it says this: 19:03 So the scripture tell us clearly 19:05 that God is Spirit and that you and I must worship Him 19:09 in spirit and in truth. 19:11 But, God created man 19:14 and since God created man in God's likeness 19:19 and He created man to be able to communicate and talk with Him 19:24 therefore He had to give man a spiritual nature. 19:31 In order for man to communicate with God, 19:35 he had to have a spiritual nature. 19:37 So, He created man with a nature of flesh 19:41 and a spiritual nature BOTH. 19:43 Had both of them and, therefore, God could communicate 19:47 and talk with man... made him that way. 19:51 And so we read that he had flesh. 19:55 You and I don't have any trouble with that; 19:57 we know what that is. OK? 19:59 And He made him spiritual so that He could communicate. 20:03 And God came down in the Garden of Eden 20:08 in the cool of the evening and visited with man... 20:10 talked to him. 20:17 To care for it: tend it and keep it. 20:26 Said: "I've made everything here for you. 20:28 All yours. Take care of it. 20:31 Look after it. You can eat of anything in the garden you want 20:35 to BUT... " 20:50 God said: "Now, any tree here in the garden you want to eat of 20:54 you may. This one tree over here... you don't eat of it. " 20:58 "Thou shalt not eat... " 21:02 Folks, I think that's clear, isn't it? 21:06 "Thou shalt not eat... " Clear, you know? 21:11 Just like the commandments. 21:14 "Thou shalt not kill. " Clear! 21:16 Don't have any... You know, you ought to be able to 21:18 understand that when God says that type of thing 21:21 in His commandments. 21:22 So He said: "Thou shalt not eat... in the day that you 21:25 eat of it you're going to die. " 21:29 Well you remember, the serpent tempted Eve, right? 21:36 And Eve ate of the tree. 21:40 And she took the fruit and gave it to Adam, 21:44 her husband, and he ate. 21:46 Did they die? 21:51 Did they die that day? 21:55 This is a very important point! 21:57 Did they die that day? 22:00 Well, it says this: 22:13 Please notice: they ate. Now what are they doing? 22:16 Hiding. 22:20 What happened? 22:22 Let me tell you something. The moment... the moment that 22:25 Adam and Eve ate of that tree 22:29 that spiritual nature died. 22:34 Right there. Died. 22:37 So that when God came down in the cool of the evening 22:40 they hid themselves. 22:42 They didn't want to see God; they didn't want to talk to Him. 22:44 The spiritual nature had died right there. 22:48 And all that was left of Adam and Eve 22:53 was only flesh. 22:56 That's it... nothing else. 22:57 And thus it tells us: 23:12 And so the scripture says that death passed upon everybody. 23:16 In other words, that spiritual nature died and all that was 23:21 left of them was only flesh. 23:24 And then when Adam and Eve had children, 23:31 the only thing that Adam and Eve could pass on to their children 23:36 was only flesh. 23:41 And the only thing your parents 23:45 could pass on to you 23:48 was just flesh. 23:51 And the only thing you can pass on to your children 23:56 is only flesh. 24:01 You see, the spiritual nature died, and the only way 24:06 you can get it back is you have to be born again. 24:12 You see, I run onto parents who say: 24:14 "Well, I'm going to send my son off here to one of our colleges 24:19 to a Christian college. 24:20 Maybe he'll meet a nice 24:22 Christian girl 24:23 and he'll start serving the Lord. " 24:25 That isn't how it works, folks. 24:27 Doesn't work that way. You have to be born again. 24:32 It's what's required. 24:34 Won't work any other way. 24:36 Has to be born again. 24:38 And so, when you and I come into this world... 24:41 I'm sorry to have to tell you this... 24:44 but when we come into this world we are born half dead. 24:49 You are born only flesh, 24:52 and you have to be born again. 24:55 How? 24:56 How am I born again? 24:58 I've spent the last four presentations talking to you 25:02 about how to be born again. 25:05 I'm going to quickly give you a little review 25:08 of how to be born again. 25:10 And if there's some of you that are watching 25:12 by television or listening through the radio 25:15 and you haven't been involved in these other presentations, 25:19 tonight if you haven't been born again, listen carefully. 25:23 Take hold of what it says, because God is willing to 25:26 give you a spiritual nature 25:29 if you'll just reach out and accept it. 25:31 So let's see how we are born again. 25:34 1. We are born by the Word of God. 25:37 Now this may sound simple, 25:39 but that's exactly what the scripture says. 25:42 That you are born by the Word of God. Listen: 26:09 In other words it's telling me that in this book 26:13 I can find eternal life. 26:17 I can find a spiritual nature in the Word of God. 26:20 Through the Word of God I can be born again. 26:24 Let's look at another one. 26:31 Now listen carefully: 26:40 Where has been given us exceedingly great 26:42 and precious promises? 26:45 In the Word of God. 26:46 That's where we have exceeding great and precious promises. 26:50 All right? 27:05 So through the Word of God you and I can be born again. 27:11 This is how it takes place. 27:13 So, as I read the Word of God 27:17 I understand what Jesus Christ has done for me. 27:22 I understand the grace of God. 27:26 I understand His love, 27:28 His kindness, what He wants to do for me. 27:32 I can reach out in faith and believe. 27:44 OK, you're reading the Word... you're hearing the Word of God 27:48 and what? 27:56 Do you have everlasting life? 27:59 Dear friend, if you have taken God's Word 28:04 and you believe in Him, 28:06 He says He will give you everlasting life. 28:16 That's what God does for us. 28:18 Marvelous what He does for us! 28:21 Gives you a new nature... a spiritual nature. 28:25 Watch: 29:02 So it says that you and I by faith, 29:05 understanding what the Word of God says, 29:08 can reach out and accept that. 29:11 And when you do that, dear friend, 29:14 you are born again. 29:17 That's where you and I receive a new nature. 29:22 OK? Born again. 29:25 Given a new nature. 29:27 Please get something clear. 29:29 You are born again, 29:32 but you're born again as a baby. 29:37 You're not born again as an adult. 29:44 You don't come into God's kingdom as an adult... 29:48 you come in as a babe. 29:50 That's the way you're born again. 29:52 This is what it says about it: 30:06 I am born again, I have been given a spiritual nature, 30:10 but that spiritual nature is just a babe. 30:15 That's all... just a babe. 30:27 You have a new nature. You have been born again. 30:32 You have been given back a spiritual nature. 30:35 What many people don't understand 30:38 is this spiritual nature that God has given you. 30:42 Now folks, this is not something you earn. 30:44 Not something that you had anything to do with other than 30:47 God, out of His grace and His mercy, 30:50 has given you a new nature. 30:53 But that new nature cannot sin. 30:57 The new nature cannot sin. 31:01 I want you to listen to a couple of scriptures: 31:22 You see, that nature is a spiritual nature. 31:26 It cannot sin. It's impossible for it to sin. 31:30 The spiritual nature... Let's look at one more: 31:44 So that spiritual nature that God gives you 31:48 does not sin. 31:53 But at the same time, you've got an old nature. 31:58 The Bible calls that "the flesh. " 32:02 Let me tell you something: the old nature can sin. 32:06 In fact, it likes to. 32:09 That's part of the old nature. 32:11 Something else about the old nature, folks... 32:13 it's full grown. 32:15 Full grown... it's not a baby. 32:19 It's full grown. 32:32 Yeah, he's full grown. 32:35 He is absolutely contrary to God. 32:41 Understand that now folks. 32:43 I've run onto too many people who have accepted Christ 32:48 and they spend all their time trying to dress up the old man. 32:54 Trying to make him presentable. 32:56 Hoping that maybe some way, somehow, 32:59 he'll act like he ought to. 33:02 No, he's not going to act like he should. 33:05 It's an old man of sin. It won't ever happen. 33:10 Quit trying to dress up the old man. 33:18 You see folks, there's nothing wrong with God's law. 33:21 People that attack God's law don't know what they're doing. 33:24 God's law is spiritual. 33:31 Do you know what that word carnal means? 33:34 Huh? Yeah, you've eaten chile con carne. 33:37 Yeah. It means flesh; that's what it is. 33:42 I'm flesh. 33:43 The law is spiritual but I'm flesh. 33:46 I have to be born again. 33:53 talking about the spiritual nature... 34:19 See, the old man of sin... 34:22 he's not going to do what's right. 34:25 He's not going to follow that at all. 34:30 So you have a struggle for control. 34:33 Now dear friend put it down, because here's where many, 34:37 many Christians mess up 34:39 because there's a struggle for control. 34:44 BUT when you come to Christ and you accept Him 34:47 and He gives you a new nature, things are not equal. 34:53 Understand that. 34:55 The new nature is a babe. 34:59 The old nature is full grown. 35:03 Let me tell you something else: 35:04 the old nature doesn't like the baby. 35:07 Understand that. He doesn't like the baby. 35:11 He's going to stomp on it every chance he gets. 35:15 Just isn't equal at all here. 35:18 And that's why so many Christians have trouble 35:21 is because all of a sudden when the old man of sin 35:25 raises his ugly head, they don't understand what's going on. 35:30 And the baby... about all it can do is cry. 35:36 There's some things you've gotta do. 35:41 This is talking about Abraham's sons 35:47 Isaac and Ishmael... those two sons. 35:52 And you remember, one was born of the flesh. 35:55 What does that mean? 35:57 That was born out of Abraham's doing, OK? 36:01 The other was born out of promise. That was God's doing. 36:05 OK. 36:20 That means that the old man of sin is going to persecute 36:24 the baby. 36:27 It's what's going to happen. Might as well understand that 36:31 if you're going to grow. 36:42 You see, you and I have to learn to walk in the Spirit. 36:49 Because if you don't, 36:51 then all you're doing 36:53 is feeding the old man. 36:57 You're gettin' him stronger all the time; 36:59 the baby's gettin' weaker. 37:15 Like I told you, they don't like one another. 37:18 There's nothing compatible about 'em. 37:22 So you can't take the old man and say: "Well, 37:26 I'm going to take you to church. " 37:29 He doesn't want to go to church. 37:33 That's not where he wants to go. 37:36 It's the spiritual nature that wants to go to church... 37:40 not the old man. 37:43 And so you've got to learn there are certain things 37:46 you have to do. 38:02 You see the old man... he's got to die. 38:09 That's what's got to happen. 38:10 He's got to die. 38:12 And the new one, the new nature, needs to start growing. 38:18 Bigger, stronger, day by day. 38:22 This is what has to take place. 38:39 You see, that's all you can do to the old man is crucify him. 38:43 And you and I must every day 38:48 get up and crucify that old man of sin. 38:53 You've gotta... And you can't even just do it once, folks. 38:58 You gotta do it time, and time, and time again 39:02 because he'll raise his ugly head over, and over, and over. 39:06 And so you have to raise... you have to take him 39:09 and crucify him. And that's what Paul's talking about 39:13 when he says here: 39:14 "I have been" what? 39:16 "crucified with Christ. " 39:18 He's talking about the old, fleshly nature. 39:28 Now if you're wantin' to have a Christian life, 39:31 if you're wantin' to walk with the Lord, 39:33 if you want to know what it is to walk with the Lord, 39:36 then QUIT. 39:37 Quit walking in the flesh and start walking in the Spirit. 39:41 Take the old man of sin and crucify him 39:44 and walk in the Spirit day by day. 39:48 What a difference it will make in your life 39:52 when you learn to walk... 39:54 Oh, I'm not telling you that crucifying the old man of sin 39:58 will be a pleasant experience. 40:01 It's not going to be a very pleasant experience because 40:05 the old man of sin is going to fight you. 40:07 And it's going to be hard. 40:09 But you've got to crucify him and you have to do something 40:15 for the baby. 40:28 That's what you and I must do day by day. 40:33 So, how does the new nature grow? 40:38 What do I have to do? 40:39 This... this new nature's coming in as a baby. 40:44 What do I have to do? It's got to grow. 40:46 That is absolutely necessary 40:48 if you are going to find victory in your life. 41:03 A babe. 41:04 All right. The newborn babe desires the... 41:13 In other words, it's telling you that this is food 41:16 for the baby. Do you understand? 41:19 It's food for the baby. The problem is 41:22 is people accept Christ 41:24 and they're given a spiritual nature. 41:27 But it's given to them 41:29 as a babe, OK? 41:32 And the old man of sin 41:34 does not like the baby 41:38 and so he's going to fight you. 41:42 What do I mean by that? 41:44 Well, let's say you have a newborn baby in the home 41:48 and three o'clock in the morning it starts crying... 41:54 wants to eat. 41:57 So what do you do? 42:00 Huh? 42:01 Well you lay in the bed and say: "Ah, quit crying. 42:04 Just go back to sleep. 42:08 I don't want to get up. 42:10 I don't want to go in there and feed you. 42:12 Just... just go on back to sleep. " 42:16 No! You get up and you feed the baby. 42:21 OK. People become Christians, they accept Christ, 42:26 they are given a spiritual nature. 42:27 And the spiritual nature is crying to be fed, 42:31 and the old man of sin is saying: 42:33 "Go on to sleep; don't pay any attention to it. " 42:37 And it fights you. 42:39 Dear friend, I don't care what it is. 42:42 If you've accepted Christ and given your heart to Him, 42:45 I don't care whether you feel like it or whether you don't... 42:49 FEED THE BABY! 42:52 You've got to pick it up and feed it. 42:55 You've got to give it God's Word. 42:57 It has to have that to grow, 43:00 and it won't grow without it. 43:02 And you cannot, day in and day out, 43:05 starve that baby and expect it to live. 43:11 You've got to feed it, 43:14 and you feed it day by day by day 43:18 of God's Word. 43:20 And as you feed it, it'll grow stronger. 43:37 OK. So you feed the baby by the Word of God. 43:43 That's how you feed the baby. 43:46 The way the baby breathes is by prayer. 43:52 Prayer is the breath of the soul. 43:54 That's how the baby breathes, 43:57 and you've got to let it breathe. 44:02 Parents go to great expenses 44:05 to make sure that they know that that baby is breathing. 44:10 Same thing is true spiritually, dear friend. 44:13 If you don't let that baby breathe, 44:16 it's going to die. 44:19 Therefore prayer is absolutely vital 44:23 in the Christian experience. 44:25 That's what helps the baby grow. 44:29 And so if you feed the baby, 44:33 you let it breathe, 44:36 then what else do you have to do? 44:40 Hmmm? 44:42 Well, you've got to let the baby exercise. 44:46 You know? I'm sorry, but I've run onto too many 44:49 Christians that eat and breathe, and all they've done is 44:54 grown great big and fat. 44:59 You've got to exercise. Necessary. 45:03 And I exercise, the scripture tell me, by sharing God's Word. 45:09 That's how I exercise my faith. 45:12 Faith is like a muscle... 45:15 it has to be used to become stronger. 45:18 And so I must use it. 45:20 And as I do so, it will become stronger. 45:23 The baby will become stronger. 45:25 That is required for that child to grow. 45:28 If I do that, it makes a great, great difference. 45:33 Very important text here, folks: 45:57 Two things I want to tell you about this 46:00 because I run onto some people that make wrecks 46:04 of their Christian experience. 46:07 There was a man who walked into an Indian village. 46:15 Told the people that he could make gold. 46:19 They gathered around him, took out a bucket, 46:23 poured some water in the bucket, 46:25 took out a little sack of chemicals, 46:28 poured some chemicals in the water, 46:31 began to stir it with a stick and to repeat meaningless words. 46:35 And as he stirred the pot, something happened... 46:39 and the attention of the people was distracted. 46:43 And when their attention was drawn away, 46:46 he dropped into the pot two nuggets of gold. 46:49 Continued to stir it, and after stirring it for quite some time 46:53 he stopped and poured off the water 46:55 and lo and behold, in the bottom of that bucket 46:58 was two nuggets of gold. 47:01 And everybody oohed and aahed. 47:03 And the businessmen in the town offered him 1,500 rupees 47:08 if he would just tell them how to make gold... 47:11 which after some consideration he decided he would. 47:14 He gave them the bucket. 47:16 Told them how much water to put in it. 47:19 Gave them the sack of chemicals. 47:22 Told them what words to say 47:24 and how long they were to stir the pot. 47:26 And they gave him 1,500 rupees 47:30 and he turned and walked away from the crowd. 47:34 When he got out to the edge of the crowd he stopped 47:37 and he said: 47:38 "I forgot to tell you one thing. 47:40 When you stir the pot 47:43 you must not think of the red-faced monkey. " 47:49 But lo and behold, every time they stirred the pot 47:53 on the edge sat the red-faced money. 47:57 You see, there are a lot of people that wreck their 48:00 Christian experience because they focus on sin. 48:05 They spend all their time thinking about their sins 48:07 and that type of thing. No, dear friend. 48:10 Don't do that; get your mind off that. 48:12 The old man of sin would rather be thought of badly than 48:16 not be thought of at all. 48:19 Get your mind off of him. 48:21 Put your mind on spiritual things. 48:23 Walk with the Lord; follow Him in that respect. 48:26 Makes a great difference where you concentrate 48:29 and where you put your mind. 48:32 One other thing I want to mention about this 48:35 because it says here that we are 48:38 "being transformed into the same image. " 48:43 By beholding we are transformed into the same image. 48:52 Some while back, Maddy Couperus, who sang 48:56 with us for quite some time, handed me an article 49:00 she had clipped out of a book. 49:03 Or I should say photocopied 49:05 out of a book called 49:07 Chicken Soup for the Soul. 49:09 Anyhow, this little article was about a family 49:13 who had a little dog. 49:15 And this little dog was very, very dear to them 49:18 and they enjoyed it. 49:20 And on this particular day 49:24 they were out mowing the lawn. 49:26 And it had rained the night before, 49:29 and this little dog of theirs' was pregnant. 49:32 And many, many times when they mowed the lawn 49:36 she would just run around and bark but never got close enough 49:41 to the lawnmower to be a problem. 49:43 And so they didn't see a problem at all. 49:45 And they were mowing the lawn, 49:46 and she was running and barking after them. 49:48 And she came running towards the lawnmower, 49:52 and when she got ready to stop and turn, the grass was slick... 49:57 and not being able to stop, she slid 50:01 right up under the lawnmower and it cut off her two hind legs. 50:05 They grabbed her up; rushed her to the veterinarian. 50:11 And the veterinarian examined her and said: 50:14 "We've got two choices. " 50:16 He said: "I can put her to sleep. " 50:18 He said: "There's not anything wrong with the puppies. 50:22 She's fine. I can sew up the stubs. 50:26 You can take her home. 50:27 She'll probably be able to give birth without any problem 50:30 if you want to do that. " 50:32 Well the children begged the parents to have him just 50:35 sew up the stubs and take her home... 50:37 which they finally consented to do. 50:40 Well they took this little dog home, and to their absolute 50:43 surprise, in no time at all she learned to get around... 50:47 to walk. She'd take a couple steps with her front feet 50:51 and then she would flip those two hind stubs underneath her. 50:55 Take a couple more steps and flip behind... 50:56 and she could get around all over the house. 50:58 And she got around all over the house, 51:01 and she gave birth to the puppies. 51:04 And all the puppies were just fine. 51:06 And they were just, you know, like... 51:09 They were normal little puppies just in every way 51:13 just like little dogs except they had one problem. 51:18 They all walked like their mother. 51:23 You see, by beholding we become changed. 51:28 And so you and I are to behold Jesus Christ. 51:33 That we are to keep our eyes on Him. 51:37 And if we will do that, it says, 51:39 this will bring about the change that is necessary in our lives, 51:43 dear friend. I have to take the old man of sin 51:48 and crucify him, 51:49 and I have to keep my eyes on Jesus Christ. 51:55 It makes a great, great difference. It says: 52:14 See, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 52:31 You see, faith in the Lord... that's what overcomes. 52:35 And so dear friend, tonight 52:37 I hope you have been born again 52:42 to give your life to Him new. 52:44 And as you do so, walk... walk in the Spirit. 52:49 God will bless you. Listen as Pam sings. 53:02 Nothing between 53:06 my soul and the Savior, 53:11 Habits of life 53:14 though harmless they seem, 53:20 I have renounced 53:25 all sinful pleasure, 53:30 Jesus is mine; 53:34 there's nothing between. 53:40 Nothing between 53:43 my soul and the Savior, 53:48 So that His blessed 53:52 face may be seen; 53:58 Nothing preventing 54:01 the least of His favor, 54:06 Keep the way clear! 54:10 Let nothing 54:13 between. 54:18 If you haven't been born again, 54:22 won't you today? 54:24 Reach out simply in faith. 54:27 Accept Him. Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior 54:32 and receive from Him a spiritual nature. 54:36 Oh, dear friend, that's what changes you. 54:40 That's what makes you different 54:42 is this new nature 54:43 that Christ gives you. 54:45 Won't you accept that today 54:47 simply by faith? 54:49 That's all you have to do. You just say: "Yes, Lord. 54:53 I'm accepting You into my heart 54:55 as my Savior. I'm giving my life to You. 54:58 Make me a new person in Christ Jesus. " 55:03 And if you do that in faith, 55:05 He in turn will accept you and give you a new life in Him. 55:10 This He promises to you and to me. 55:14 This is what it means to be born again. 55:17 And to be born again is absolutely necessary 55:22 if you and I are going to enter into the kingdom of God. 55:26 So I'm inviting you tonight... Reach out. 55:30 Accept Jesus Christ by faith 55:33 and receive a new nature from Him, 55:37 and it will change your life 55:39 and make you completely different in more ways 55:44 than you have any understanding. 55:48 Go to God. Follow what the Word says. 55:51 What says the Bible? 55:54 Jesus said in John the sixth chapter 55:57 "I am the living bread that cometh down from heaven 55:59 that a man may eat thereof and not die. 56:03 He who comes to Me will never hunger or never thirst. " 56:07 He went on to say: "The words that I speak unto you 56:11 they are spirit and they are life. 56:14 Just as the Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, 56:18 so he who eats of this bread will live because of Me. " 56:25 So many people in this world are literally starving and weak 56:29 because they do not feed on the Word of God. 56:32 Their minds are filled with matters of minor importance 56:36 instead of eating the bread which came down from heaven. 56:39 If they would only eat the Bread of Life, 56:42 they would be regenerated and renewed. 56:45 The bread sent down from heaven would give them new life. 56:48 The Holy Spirit would show them things of God. 56:51 As we feed upon the Word, 56:53 we would become new creatures in Christ. 56:58 Our whole ministry exists for one purpose only: 57:01 to bring the Bread of Life to those who are hungering 57:04 and thirsting for truth. 57:05 I wish you could see the eagerness with which they 57:08 take hold of the spiritual food that we offer them. 57:11 I wish you could see the light that comes on in their eyes 57:15 as they accept Him as their Savior. 57:17 Christ is able, Christ is willing, 57:20 Christ is longing to save all who will come unto Him. 57:25 Please pray for these souls. 57:27 And I hope you will consider supporting our ministry 57:31 as we continue to offer Jesus, the Bread of Life, 57:35 to all who are hungry and thirsty for new life. 57:39 We thank you for your support. 57:42 If the Holy Spirit impresses you to support this ministry, 57:45 please send your tax-deductible gifts to: 58:01 Thank you for helping us to bring the gift of salvation 58:04 to millions all over the world. |
Revised 2014-12-17