Give Me the Bible

What Makes Christ Different?

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox

Home

Series Code: GMTB

Program Code: GMTB000057


00:19 Well hello and welcome to Give Me The Bible
00:22 here at the 3ABN Worship Center in Thompsonville, Illinois.
00:26 We welcome all of you from around the world
00:29 who are watching on 3ABN
00:31 or listening to us
00:32 on 3ABN Radio.
00:33 How many of you listen to 3ABN Radio here in So. Illinois?
00:37 See Jay Christian sitting there.
00:39 We love 3ABN Radio, don't we Jay?
00:41 Well, we are continuing tonight
00:45 with Pastor Cox as he has come...
00:47 you know, this is the 12th month
00:49 that Pastor Cox has come and done a 5-sermon series.
00:53 And he's covered such subjects as salvation,
00:57 the judgment... Many subjects
01:00 with five sermons on each subject.
01:02 So any of you that haven't received all of these sermons...
01:05 They are encouraging; they will build you up spiritually;
01:08 and you need to be sure to get them.
01:10 The series title that we have during this time,
01:15 this 12th time - this will be sermon #57 -
01:19 the series title is No Other Name Like Jesus.
01:23 And our subject tonight is Why Believe in Jesus Christ?
01:27 You know, the scripture says... see if you can
01:31 say this scripture with me:
01:33 "I, if I be lifted up
01:35 I will draw all men unto Me. "
01:38 Well, as Pastor Cox lifts up
01:41 the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
01:44 we can have confidence that throughout the world
01:47 God is drawing souls unto Him.
01:50 But even here in our own hearts,
01:52 how many of you have areas in your own life,
01:54 you realize you need to be drawn closer to Jesus in?
01:58 So tonight let's open up our hearts
02:00 and let the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
02:03 draw us closer to Jesus.
02:06 You know, Pastor Cox has been coming to 3ABN for many years.
02:10 But this past year we've had... just, the opportunity
02:14 to spend many, many hours with him.
02:17 And I have come to love and appreciate him more than ever.
02:21 I have found him to be a true man of God.
02:24 And, you know, that... that is not
02:28 bragging on him by any means.
02:31 That is recognizing the power of God at work in his life.
02:35 He is yielded to God,
02:36 and every one of us can yield to God
02:38 and God can use us as well.
02:40 But before this mighty man of God comes,
02:43 we have Tammy Larson with us tonight.
02:45 And she's going to sing a beautiful story:
02:48 I Love to Tell the Story. A beautiful song, Tammy.
02:52 We hope that you receive her
02:54 and, Tammy, I know you'll do a beautiful job.
03:12 I love to tell the story
03:17 of unseen things above,
03:22 Of Jesus and His glory,
03:27 Of the Savior and His love;
03:33 I love to tell the story,
03:38 Because I know 'tis true;
03:43 It satisfies my longing
03:49 As nothing else can do.
03:54 I love to tell the story;
03:59 'Twill be my theme in glory
04:04 To tell the old, old story
04:09 Of Jesus and His love.
04:38 I love to tell the story;
04:43 For those who know it best
04:48 Seem hungering and thirsting
04:54 To hear it like the rest;
04:59 And when in scenes of glory
05:04 I'll sing a new, new song,
05:09 'Twill be the old, old story
05:14 That I have loved so long.
05:20 I love to tell the story;
05:25 'Twill be my theme in glory
05:30 To tell the old, old story
05:35 Of Jesus and His love.
05:41 To tell the old, old story
05:46 Of Jesus and His love.
06:07 Thank you, Tammy. Appreciate that very much.
06:10 Good evening to each of you.
06:12 Very glad to welcome you back again to this presentation.
06:17 We hope you've had a good day.
06:19 We also would like to welcome
06:20 all those that are joining us
06:22 by television or listening on
06:25 the radio or maybe you're watching through the Internet.
06:28 But we're glad that you've tuned in. We hope that
06:31 tonight's presentation on Why Believe in Jesus Christ?
06:36 will give you some reasons of why you believe in Jesus Christ.
06:42 That's the purpose of it;
06:43 we hope it will bless you in that.
06:46 This particular series that we're doing is on Jesus.
06:51 No Other Name Like Jesus.
06:53 That's what we're spending these five presentations on.
06:57 And our next presentation after this one
07:00 is entitled What Makes Jesus Different?
07:03 What makes Jesus different than Buddha?
07:07 Confucius? Mohammad?
07:10 What? Why is any difference between Him
07:14 and those different ones? And that's what we're looking at.
07:17 So we hope that you'll follow as we talk about Jesus Christ...
07:23 what He has done, what makes Him different.
07:27 After that we're going to be talking about Jesus
07:29 as the prophet, priest, and king.
07:32 Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, and king.
07:37 And then our closing presentation will be entitled
07:40 Unto You a Savior.
07:42 So we hope those will bless you as we go through them.
07:46 What are you looking at for tonight?
07:51 There's certain things that you need to be clear on...
07:56 claims that Jesus Christ made
08:01 that is reasons why you and I should believe in Him.
08:06 And so we hope you'll follow those. You know,
08:09 What says the Bible, the blessed Bible?
08:12 This my only question be.
08:15 The teachings of men so often mislead us.
08:19 What says the Bible to me?
08:21 And last presentation we talked about some of the teachings of
08:26 men that are so prevalent today.
08:28 But you and I need to go to the Word of God,
08:31 find out exactly what it has to say.
08:34 And so we thank you for being with us from evening to evening.
08:39 We ask that as we continue that Jesus Christ
08:42 may become very, very real to each one of you.
08:47 It's our privilege this evening to have with us
08:49 Melody Firestone.
08:52 She's going to sing for us a song entitled
08:55 I Have Been With Jesus.
09:10 I've just been with Jesus,
09:16 I've just seen His glory.
09:21 I've just felt His presence
09:27 as I feel it now.
09:32 He is all I long for;
09:38 there's no one I desire more.
09:44 For I've just been with Jesus
09:49 and I am with Him now.
09:55 Here in this place
09:59 my soul is satisfied.
10:04 You have erased
10:08 the wounds I tried
10:11 so hard to hide.
10:15 I'm learning how
10:19 to abandon all my fears
10:24 each time I meet You here.
10:29 I've just been with Jesus,
10:35 I've just seen His glory.
10:40 I've just felt His presence
10:46 as I feel it now.
10:51 He is all I long for;
10:57 there's no one I desire more.
11:03 For I've just been with Jesus
11:08 and I am with Him now.
11:20 Nothing but You.
11:24 That's all my eyes can see.
11:29 Finally I've found
11:32 the place my heart
11:36 has longed to be.
11:40 My own desires...
11:44 they don't matter anymore.
11:49 My will, my life is Yours.
11:54 I've just been with Jesus,
11:59 I've just seen His glory.
12:05 I've just felt His presence
12:11 as I feel it now.
12:16 He is all I long for;
12:22 there's no one I desire more.
12:27 For I've just been with Jesus
12:33 and I am with Him now.
12:45 I've just been with Jesus
12:50 and I am with
12:54 Him now.
13:22 Heavenly Father, we thank you
13:24 for the assurance that moment by moment
13:31 we can have Jesus with us
13:35 guiding and directing our steps.
13:38 Be with us tonight, Lord, as we open Your Word.
13:44 Give us understanding.
13:46 May our eyes be open.
13:51 May our ears hear.
13:55 And may we see all that Jesus Christ claims to be
14:01 and may we place our lives in His hands.
14:06 For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen.
14:17 He was born in an obscure village,
14:21 the child of a peasant woman.
14:24 He grew up still in another village
14:26 where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
14:31 Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
14:35 He never wrote a book.
14:37 He never held an office.
14:40 He never had a family.
14:42 Didn't own a home.
14:44 He didn't go to college.
14:46 Never visited a big city.
14:49 Never traveled 200 miles from the place He was born.
14:54 He did none of the things that we usually consider
15:00 to be with greatness.
15:03 The only credentials that He had was Himself.
15:07 He was only 33 when the tide of public opinion
15:12 turned against Him.
15:14 His friends ran away.
15:17 He was turned over to His enemies,
15:20 went through a mockery of a trial,
15:24 and He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
15:29 And while He was dying His executioners
15:33 gambled for His clothing...
15:36 the only property He had on earth.
15:40 And when He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave
15:46 through the pity of a friend.
15:49 Twenty centuries have come and gone.
15:54 Today He is the central figure of the human race.
16:00 The leader of mankind's progress.
16:04 All the armies that have ever marched,
16:07 all the navies that have ever sailed,
16:10 all the parliaments that have ever sat,
16:13 all the kings that have ever reigned
16:16 put together have not affected
16:20 the life of man on earth
16:22 as much as this one solitary life.
16:27 Now, you have some reasons
16:31 to believe in Jesus Christ.
16:35 All that's there, folks.
16:38 That is what He has done.
16:40 If you and I were to take a walk
16:45 through Israel of old,
16:48 there are plenty of reasons to believe in Jesus Christ.
16:53 Oh, yes. You can go and you can see all of these
16:56 little things, but just the big things.
16:59 You know, the fact that there is a city called Jerusalem.
17:03 Ever thought about that?
17:05 Just the fact that that city's there
17:07 is evidence of Jesus Christ.
17:10 The fact that there's a Garden of Gethsemane
17:14 is evidence that there is Jesus Christ.
17:18 The fact that there is a Sea of Galilee
17:22 is evidence that there was Jesus Christ.
17:26 I can still remember being in the Holy Land.
17:30 And we had a group with us,
17:34 and some of them wanted to be baptized in the Jordan.
17:37 And so we were baptizing some people in the Jordan River.
17:41 And I had just gotten out of the water
17:45 when this huge bus drove up.
17:48 And out of the bus got 40 - excuse me, 50 -
17:52 UN soldiers.
17:54 Come walking out of the bus, and this man
17:57 who was the guide come running down the bank
17:59 to where we were. And he said: "Help me. "
18:02 And I said: "What do you need? What can I do? "
18:06 And he said: "I have a busload of soldiers here. "
18:11 And he said: "It's a policy
18:14 that when they come over here and they are here for" -
18:17 I don't know how long it was he said -
18:19 "it's required that they get a two-week trip
18:22 through the country of Israel. "
18:24 And he said: "I've had these soldiers with me now
18:26 for two weeks. " And he said -
18:28 he was a Muslim, by the way -
18:31 and he said: "But you know you can't give somebody
18:35 a tour through Israel and not talk to them about Jesus. "
18:40 "Because, " he said, "Jesus is everywhere. "
18:42 And he said: "So we've just gone these places
18:44 and I've showed them about Jesus. "
18:46 And he said: "I have 24 on this bus that accepted Christ
18:50 and want to be baptized. "
18:52 See? So, what I'm saying is there is just evidence
18:56 there enough to believe in Jesus Christ.
19:00 It's there, folks. You just... you can't pass it up
19:04 that He's there in every way.
19:07 Christ is all that He claimed to be.
19:11 History tells you that He was there.
19:15 These are two ancient statements about Jesus Christ.
19:19 Says here from Tacitus Histories...
19:23 This is one of the oldest.
20:04 Of course, this has to do with the burning of Rome
20:06 and so forth, folks.
20:08 But what I'm try to say is it gives you clear indication
20:12 that Christ was there
20:13 as the beginning of Christianity took place.
20:16 Now many of you, over the years I am sure, have
20:20 have heard of a historian by the name of Josephus.
20:24 Josephus had this to say:
20:29 When he says about this time he means Pilate... Pilate's time
20:35 as governor, AD 26-36...
21:21 And we're talking about Josephus' day...
21:27 So history itself shows
21:32 that Jesus was what He said He was.
21:35 And so you and I have reason to believe because
21:40 of the influence and the effect that He has had
21:43 upon mankind all down through the centuries.
21:48 Secondly because of all the things that took place
21:51 throughout Israel
21:54 and because of history.
21:56 When Jesus showed up... when Jesus showed up
22:00 300 prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled.
22:07 Just when He showed up, 300 prophecies...
22:11 I want to just share a few with you.
22:12 I'm going to not go through very many.
22:14 But Micah talks about the place of His birth.
22:19 Says in Bethlehem. Tells exactly where He was to be born.
22:22 Isaiah 7 tells us He was to be born of a virgin.
22:26 Isaiah 53 talks about rejected by His own people.
22:31 Betrayed by a friend in Psalms.
22:34 Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
22:36 The cruel treatment that He would receive.
22:40 Pierced His hands and His feet.
22:42 Gambled for His clothing.
22:44 No broken bones, the date of His death, the resurrection...
22:48 all that was foretold in the Word of God.
22:51 So, when you pick up the book and you begin to look through it
22:57 folks, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence
23:02 that Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of God.
23:09 It, you just... when you look at it
23:11 there's no way
23:13 you can come away with any other
23:15 conviction other than He was everything that He claimed.
23:19 The prophecies that Jesus made -
23:22 Jesus Himself made -
23:25 all came true.
23:27 I mean, it'd be one thing for Him to make prophecies,
23:31 you know, and then them not be fulfilled...
23:34 but they all took place.
23:36 This is what it says about it:
23:46 Jesus is talking about the city of Jerusalem.
23:49 He's talking about what's going to happen to them.
24:02 Now, to stand there and make that prophecy, folks,
24:08 do you have any idea what that meant when He said
24:12 "there won't be one stone left up... on top of another. "
24:17 You're looking at the temple that Herod has refurbished.
24:23 That's what you're looking at.
24:24 Herod is without doubt one of the greatest builders
24:29 that we've ever known.
24:30 And there were stones - granite stones - in that temple
24:36 that were 4' thick, 4' high,
24:40 and 20' long
24:42 laying on top of one another. So perfectly laid
24:46 you couldn't stick a knife blade between them.
24:50 And for Jesus to say "There's not going to be one
24:54 stone left on top of another, "
24:57 that... that sounded like blasphemy.
25:04 And yet when those Roman soldiers surrounded that city
25:10 and finally in desperation
25:16 they came in and started taking the city
25:21 threw a firebrand, and it went through a window of the temple.
25:24 And the temple was on fire.
25:29 They couldn't put it out.
25:31 Now folks, this is a temple
25:33 that's basically made out of stone.
25:37 They couldn't put it out.
25:40 The fire was so hot that it melted the gold
25:46 that had been overlaying the walls
25:49 and all the articles of furniture and stuff.
25:53 That gold melted and ran down into the rocks and the crevices
25:58 all through there so that the people came
26:01 after it was over and they pried every stone
26:05 off the top of the other.
26:07 And they even plowed the ground to gather the gold...
26:11 just exactly as Jesus said.
26:14 So, you know, it's one thing to say something.
26:20 But when you say it and history records that it actually
26:25 took place as you said, that's something else.
26:30 Even to His own disciples... I mean,
26:35 this is after the resurrection.
26:39 Jesus is at the lake; the disciples are there.
26:43 And this is after Jesus had talked to Peter and said:
26:47 "Lovest thou Me? "
26:50 And Jesus gave this prophecy about him:
27:10 Said: "Peter, you went where you wanted to go,
27:13 but when you are old you will stretch out your hands
27:17 and they'll take you where you
27:19 didn't particularly want to go. "
27:31 And just true to God's Word
27:34 when Peter was arrested
27:36 and they were going to crucify him...
27:40 stretch out his hands.
27:42 Peter requested that they would crucify him upside down
27:47 because he didn't feel worthy to be crucified as his Master.
27:53 But what I'm trying to say is
27:56 it fulfilled just exactly as Christ said.
28:02 So, the prophecies that He gave is evidence
28:06 for you and I to believe in Jesus.
28:10 Should I believe in Him? Yes, because the prophecies
28:13 He said took place... they happened as He said.
28:17 Thirdly, because of His works.
28:21 I mean, recorded in the New Testament
28:27 are 37 miracles. That's what's recorded in the New Testament.
28:31 Thirty-seven miracles.
28:33 That isn't all that He did by any means.
28:36 But there's 37 that are recorded that you and I can read.
28:40 Some of those miracles, folks, happened in the presence of
28:44 not one or two people
28:46 but in the presence of thousands they took place.
28:51 This is what it says:
29:01 He did a lot of things not recorded here.
29:05 OK?
29:08 "But these are written that you may.. "
29:11 OK, why are they written?
29:28 So that's the reason they are recorded.
29:31 They are recorded so that you and I can believe.
29:37 So when I read the miracles
29:42 in this book and the prophecies
29:46 they help me believe.
29:49 You see, if you were to just reach in and take all the
29:55 miracles out of the Bible
29:57 and take all the prophecies out of the Bible,
30:00 do you know what you'd have left?
30:03 Well really all you'd have left is a book of philosophy.
30:07 That's all that would be left.
30:10 You see, it's the miracles and it's the prophecies
30:14 that give it the divine.
30:16 It makes it more than human...
30:19 it makes the book divine.
30:21 In this book is life.
30:24 You ever thought about it?
30:27 The same energy that God used
30:32 in creating this world
30:34 is in the Word of God.
30:37 See, it's more there...
30:39 So Jesus Christ was everything that He claimed to be.
30:46 This miracle He did in the presence
30:49 of 5,000 people.
31:10 Five thousand men, not counting women and children,
31:16 were fed that day.
31:19 Have you ever taken time to read the conditions there?
31:25 I mean, if Jesus Christ, folks,
31:32 was just a man
31:35 and just trying to - how should I say? -
31:40 promote himself,
31:42 this was the opportunity of all opportunities...
31:46 because here He had just
31:51 healed person after person after person
31:55 and now He has thousands of them sitting down there
32:00 and He is feeding them.
32:02 And those people are saying
32:05 "He is... He is
32:10 a prophet. He is the one that's going to deliver Israel.
32:16 Let's make Him king! "
32:19 That's what they're saying.
32:22 Now if He wasn't what He said
32:26 then here was the opportunity for Him to take over.
32:31 But instead He sent His disciples across the sea.
32:37 He went up in the mountain to pray
32:40 and He dismissed the crowd
32:45 because He said: "My kingdom is not of this world. "
32:51 You see, what I'm trying to get across to you tonight
32:55 is that Jesus Christ is without question, folks,
33:00 exactly what He said He was.
33:04 Then the miracle of the resurrection.
33:15 But the miracle of Lazarus.
33:19 The resurrection of Lazarus without question
33:23 was what brought about His death.
33:29 Because He calculated that and had that done
33:35 because He knew that's what would happen.
33:37 The time had come... the time had come when He
33:41 knew that He was to give His life for you and for me.
33:45 You see, folks,
33:49 Jesus understood and Jesus knew that He came here to die.
33:56 He understood that. That... He knew that was necessary,
34:00 that was required, for you and I to be saved
34:04 was that He had to die.
34:08 And so as things went along and developed
34:12 He knew that He needed to give proof
34:16 that He was indeed the Son of God.
34:20 And so with the resurrection of Lazarus
34:24 He gave that proof because Lazarus had been in that grave
34:30 for four days. There was no question
34:34 that Lazarus was dead
34:37 and He was calling him forth.
34:57 The scripture says that with the resurrection of Lazarus
35:02 a great multitude of people believed.
35:07 Then shortly after this you have the triumphal entry.
35:13 You have Jesus with Lazarus
35:17 going in front of Him into Jerusalem.
35:20 And of course this was more than the Pharisees could take
35:26 because they said: "If we don't do something, everybody's
35:30 going to be turned to Him. "
35:33 But oh, dear friend, if they would have been.
35:36 Oh that they just would have responded
35:38 and given their hearts to Him.
35:41 What a difference it would make.
35:43 Claims...
35:51 One of the claims that He makes
35:53 is that He is God.
35:56 He doesn't hide it.
35:59 He doesn't try to do anything.
36:02 He makes it very clear that He is God.
36:07 And you and I must recognize Him as God
36:13 if you are going to receive the benefits
36:17 of what He has done for you and me.
36:21 You remember He was brought in before the Sanhedrin...
36:42 I mean, you can't have it any clearer.
36:45 He's been put under oath and he said: "You tell us
36:48 are you the Son of God? "
37:06 I told you in our last presentation
37:09 that when He said that,
37:12 that is a direct reference to Daniel the 7th chapter.
37:18 That's a direct reference to it and Caiaphas understood that
37:22 and knew that without question.
37:24 That's the reason he tore his robe and said: "blasphemy. "
37:28 He said - Jesus said - without question He was the Son of God.
37:33 Jesus claims to be God.
37:39 The question that you and I have to answer tonight
37:42 in your own selves is do you recognize Him as God?
37:49 Do you recognize...? If you do,
37:53 if you recognize Him as God,
37:55 then, dear friend, He is worthy of your worship.
38:01 He accepts worship.
38:03 And only as God could He accept worship and it be of value.
38:08 But He does accept worship because He is God.
38:24 I mean, we talked about that a little bit
38:27 in our last presentation...
38:28 the fact that nature obeyed Him.
38:34 I mean, when He stood up there and said to the wind:
38:38 "stop blowing" and to the waves "to calm, "
38:42 they obeyed His voice.
38:44 And the disciples couldn't... they couldn't understand this
38:48 because this person who they were following
38:51 who they believed to be the deliverer of Israel,
38:55 many of them believed Him to be a prophet,
38:57 but all of a sudden they were faced with somebody
39:00 who was more than that...
39:01 who nature listened to His voice and followed His commands.
39:05 And they said: "Who is this? "
39:07 "Who is like this that even the wind
39:12 and the waves obey His voice? "
39:15 And they worshiped Him as God.
39:19 So you and I need to worship Him
39:24 indeed as God.
39:28 He said... these are claims that He made...
39:31 He said He came to "seek and save the lost. "
39:37 That includes us, yeah.
39:40 He came to seek and save the lost.
39:44 How wonderful that He's here.
39:48 You know, certain things there, folks, that's so different.
39:52 Let me read the text to you first. It says:
40:09 It'd be one thing if that text says
40:12 that the Son of Man came to save that which is lost.
40:17 See?
40:19 That puts Him - if it said that...
40:21 that "the Son of Man came to save that which was lost"
40:25 that puts Him - how should I say it - in a way
40:28 in the same category as Buddha
40:31 or as Confucius.
40:34 See, Buddha tells you that if you do this and this and this
40:39 you'll be saved.
40:40 And Confucius says the same thing.
40:44 But Jesus doesn't say that.
40:46 It says He came to SEEK.
40:48 That means He came looking for you!
40:51 See, that's like if you fell in a well.
40:55 You see? And Buddha would look in the well and say:
40:58 "Well if you do this and this and this you might get out. "
41:02 See... Along would come Confucius and he would say:
41:06 "Well if you obey these things and you try hard enough,
41:09 you probably could work it out to get out of the well. "
41:12 But Jesus Christ got down in the well.
41:16 Got you, brought you out.
41:19 "To seek and save that which is lost. "
41:23 And He did that for you and for me.
41:28 He says He will forgive you and your sins.
41:34 He will forgive you of your sins.
41:37 I don't know about you
41:42 but, dear friend, how shall I put it?
41:46 That's what takes the monkey off your back
41:52 is to have your sins forgiven.
41:55 You know? That's what it does.
41:57 It just... it brings about relief
42:00 to know that no matter what my past may have been...
42:05 And to those of you who are watching by television
42:08 or listening on the radio, I don't care how dark
42:12 your past may be
42:16 the Lord Jesus Christ will forgive you
42:20 if you come to Him.
42:22 It does not make any difference
42:25 what sin you may have committed
42:28 or how dark your past is...
42:31 He will forgive.
42:58 I don't know what that did for you,
43:01 but oh, dear friend, when I came to the Lord Jesus Christ
43:05 and found that my sins were forgiven
43:09 what a difference that made.
43:12 What a load that took off of me.
43:16 You know, the nice thing about it is
43:18 is you can day by day keep that off you.
43:22 You don't have to carry that.
43:24 And if you're burdened down with sin,
43:29 dear friend, you don't have to carry that.
43:32 The Lord will forgive you; you can have that off your back
43:36 all the time. You don't have to carry it.
43:39 He'll forgive you of your sins.
43:42 He promised He would resurrect His followers from the grave.
43:48 You know, it's one thing to say: "Well, fine. "
43:52 But I'm sorry. All of us -
43:56 unless time should come to an end and Jesus should come back -
44:01 every one of us are going to face the grave.
44:06 I mean, that's something that just is part of mankind
44:12 is we're going to die.
44:15 If that's all there is,
44:18 not much... you know.
44:23 I don't know about the rest of you, but man,
44:26 time went by awful fast.
44:29 I mean, it just seemed like it flew.
44:31 And all of a sudden I'm looking back and here...
44:34 there's a whole lot back there and not very much this way.
44:39 You know... and it's just some- thing that we're going to face.
44:47 Fortunately, Jesus Christ rose from the grave
44:53 and He said: "Because I live you can live. "
44:57 And He gave proof - came forth from the grave -
45:02 that He was indeed the Son of God.
45:17 Said: "I am the resurrection and the life.
45:21 He who believes in Me, though he may die,
45:26 yet he shall live. "
45:29 Then He asked a very pointed question:
45:38 Do you tonight believe that?
45:42 That he who believes in Jesus Christ
45:46 shall live... shall never die.
45:49 That's a promise that's given to you and to me.
45:53 And what I'm trying to tell you tonight is
45:56 the Word of God stands on that promise.
46:00 Jesus Christ rose from the dead
46:03 as the firstfruits of the resurrection...
46:05 proof to you and to me
46:09 that we can have life in Jesus Christ.
46:14 Well, He will judge the world.
46:20 You know it's one thing to say: "Well,
46:24 you know, I don't believe that. Not going to accept that. "
46:29 But it's another thing to realize
46:31 that there's a day coming in which you are going to face it.
46:36 And if He is all that He claims to be,
46:40 which history and evidence and all says that He is,
46:46 then dear friend you're going to have to face
46:49 the Judge of the universe.
47:10 He will judge the world.
47:15 You and I have the privilege...
47:20 Oh that we would understand
47:24 that this is not based on your ability.
47:27 You understand that?
47:29 This is not based on how good you are.
47:32 This is not based on your ability.
47:38 It's based on two things.
47:40 It's based on your acceptance of Him
47:44 and what He did for you.
47:46 That's what it's based on.
47:49 And so it doesn't make any difference who you are.
47:53 It doesn't make any difference what your situation is.
47:56 Doesn't make any difference where you've been.
47:58 It is totally on the basis, tonight,
48:02 is if you want to accept Him.
48:05 And if you accept Him as Savior,
48:10 if you accept Him as the Son of God,
48:13 you accept what He did for you,
48:16 then, dear friend, you and I stand
48:22 where we are totally - how should I put it? -
48:26 totally protected and totally cared for
48:29 because He has done everything that's necessary
48:34 for you and me to have life.
48:43 Thought about it?
48:46 Why is it important that I believe in Jesus Christ?
48:49 Well to begin with, salvation is found only in Him.
48:53 There's nobody else that offers you salvation.
48:59 Acts 4:12:
49:09 Salvation is in Jesus Christ alone.
49:14 Show me... Show me somebody else
49:19 who came forth from the grave.
49:22 Come on, show me!
49:27 He alone is the One.
49:30 Salvation is found totally and completely
49:33 in Him... nobody else.
49:35 Therefore it's important that you and I believe in Him
49:39 in order to be saved.
49:42 It can't be any other way.
49:45 Secondly, life is found only in Christ.
49:51 It says here in I John 5:12:
50:02 Life is found only in Jesus Christ.
50:07 Not only eternal life...
50:10 that is found only in Jesus Christ.
50:13 But really folks,
50:16 life on this old earth
50:18 is really found
50:20 only in Jesus Christ.
50:23 To that person who has never known Jesus Christ,
50:28 who has never accepted Jesus Christ,
50:32 that person has never lived.
50:37 That person has never experienced life.
50:42 Only when an individual has given his heart to Jesus Christ
50:48 and understands and experiences
50:54 forgiveness - experiences the joy
50:58 and the peace and the love that comes into his life
51:02 through Jesus Christ -
51:04 only that person knows what it means to live.
51:09 So Christ is the One who gives life.
51:13 Also, He's the way... Christ is the way.
51:27 If you want to find the way,
51:30 if you want to find answers to life's questions,
51:34 if you want to find joy and happiness in living day by day,
51:39 then Jesus Christ is the way.
51:42 He's the One.
51:44 So these are claims that Jesus Christ makes
51:47 and this is why it becomes so important
51:51 that you and I believe in Jesus Christ.
52:01 Tonight what are you going to do with Him?
52:04 Are you going to stick your head in the sand...
52:09 say "don't tell me? "
52:12 Are you going to ignore the facts of history?
52:18 Ignore all the evidence that's there?
52:22 What will you do with Jesus Christ?
52:37 Listen.
52:52 All the things that Jesus Christ did
52:57 even the world couldn't contain them.
52:59 So the question is: The evidence is there.
53:03 Why believe in Jesus Christ?
53:06 Because, folks, the abundance of evidence
53:10 that's laid down through prophecies and through history
53:14 and through miracles that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God.
53:19 Jesus and the disciples
53:24 had come down from the mountain,
53:28 and this young man - this man whose son
53:33 was epileptic, said to Jesus:
53:38 "If you can... if you can do something, heal him. "
53:50 Tonight, can you believe?
54:03 And so tonight I offer to you
54:07 Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
54:11 Let us pray.
54:13 Heavenly Father,
54:15 we thank you that Jesus came.
54:20 That He died.
54:22 That He lived.
54:25 That He rose.
54:26 That each of us may have life.
54:30 Grant to us, Lord, the peace and the joy
54:34 the understanding that comes
54:37 in giving our hearts to You.
54:39 For this we ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.
54:45 Remember our next presentation is What Makes Jesus Different?
54:51 What makes Him different than these other
54:54 who claim to be saviors?
54:57 So that you and I can know where is the dividing line.
55:01 What makes Him different from them?
55:04 Appreciate you being here.
55:05 Hope that these presentations on Jesus will bless you.
55:09 Thank you for being here; good night.
55:11 God bless each one of you.
55:13 Stay close to Jesus.
55:17 Hello, friends.
55:19 In Luke the 12th chapter Jesus tells an interesting story
55:23 of a master who returned home from his wedding
55:27 hoping to find each of his servants eagerly waiting
55:30 to let him in
55:31 no matter what hour of the day or the night.
55:34 This story is about each of us
55:36 who have been bought by His precious blood
55:39 and therefore have become His servants.
55:41 And His hope is that we will faithfully be doing
55:46 the work He assigned while anxiously awaiting His return.
55:50 But this beautiful parable
55:52 has a dark warning as well.
55:55 Luke writes about a break-in that happens
55:58 in the night while the master of the house is fast asleep.
56:02 Under the cover of darkness,
56:04 a thief steals his most precious possession.
56:07 And Jesus goes on to say
56:09 "But know this, that if the master of the house
56:12 had known what hour the thief would come
56:14 he would have watched
56:15 and not allowed his house to be broken into.
56:18 Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming
56:22 at an hour you do not expect. "
56:24 Friends, none of us know the hour of Christ's second coming.
56:28 To some it may seem like a far-off event.
56:31 But if their life should end today,
56:34 it will feel like only a moment.
56:37 Jesus' message is the same for us today.
56:40 Do all you can to prepare
56:42 and faithfully watch and wait.
56:45 Satan is a thief, and there is nothing he enjoys more
56:50 than stealing our relationship with Jesus.
56:53 He robs us by making us careless and indifferent.
56:57 He tries to distract us from spending time with our Lord
57:00 and to burden us with so much care that we become indifferent
57:04 to those who are suffering
57:06 and those who don't know about our loving Savior.
57:11 As Christians, we are given the great privilege of being
57:15 called the sons and daughters of God.
57:17 But with this privilege comes an awesome responsibility:
57:22 to be faithful servants and to tell others about Jesus.
57:26 Are you being faithful to God?
57:28 Are you ready to give an account of your stewardship?
57:31 Our ministry is geared entirely
57:34 to taking care of those spiritual needs
57:36 of those who watch us all over the world.
57:39 Won't you help us?
57:41 Please consider what you can do
57:42 for those who still don't know about Jesus.
57:45 As the Holy Spirit impresses,
57:47 please send your tax-deductible gifts to:
58:01 Thank you for helping us spread the light of God's Word
58:04 through television and radio.
58:06 Your gifts help bring the blessed hope of salvation
58:08 to millions around the world.


Home

Revised 2014-12-17