Participants: John Lomacang & John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL100006
|
00:01 Hello friends, grab your Bible and a friend
00:03 and sit back as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of House Calls. 00:22 Welcome to the House Calls program. 00:23 We're so thrilled that you decided to join us here today, 00:27 for another program that we believe 00:28 will be both informative and a blessing 00:31 I think to all of us. 00:32 And, you know, with me in the studio is, 00:35 Pastor C.A. Murray, and, Pastor Murray, 00:37 is not just a blessing to those 00:39 who we do the program for, it's a blessing to us. 00:42 Oh, very much so. 00:43 So many times we've talked about certain topics 00:45 and we don't do a lot of preparation for the programs. 00:48 But we find that the Lord just blesses and opens up 00:51 even some new understandings of things 00:53 even in our own minds 00:54 and that's just an incredible gift. 00:55 It is, it is. 00:56 You know, the spirit has promised that 00:58 if we study the word that God would be responsible 01:01 to bring things back when you need them. 01:03 Now He didn't put in there what you didn't, 01:05 He didn't recall what you didn't put in there. 01:07 But if you put it in there, it's in there somewhere 01:09 and Holy Spirit brings it back just when you need it. 01:11 And then answering questions 01:12 talking over these topics is fun, 01:14 and I like to challenge myself 01:15 since I don't get to do this that often to, 01:20 you know, you give yourself a little text, 01:22 can I remember these text and these things comeback. 01:24 And we don't do an excessive amount of preparation, 01:27 we just go on our knowledge of the word and prayer. 01:29 And when I watched the program 01:31 and I watched you, and, John Lomacang, quite a lot. 01:35 I see that chemistry working that comes, 01:38 because you both love the Lord, 01:39 you both have studied the word. 01:40 And you put that combination together 01:42 with the spirit and it comes up well. Amen. 01:45 Yeah, it is the Lord that does this, 01:46 and so we're want to give Him all the honor, 01:48 glory, credit, everything it's all Him. Yeah. 01:51 We're so thankful that we have a chance 01:53 to interact with you as well 01:55 with the questions that you send in. 01:57 We want to make sure that you know 01:58 where to send those questions to. 02:01 But before we talk about all that, 02:02 or give you that information, 02:03 let's go to the Lord in prayer and then we'll dive in. 02:05 I'm ready. 02:06 Gracious Father, we call upon you again 02:08 to be the centrance circumference 02:10 of all that we do. 02:12 We yield our lives again to You 02:14 and ask You to fill us with Your spirit, 02:16 so that our words are not merely our words, 02:18 but that they are Your words 02:19 and our thoughts are Your thoughts. Amen. 02:21 So that Christ is felt and Christ is heard 02:25 and Christ is seen and understood 02:27 in all that we say no one needs to hear 02:30 of His late deed in history the thoughts of man. 02:33 We need the mind of Christ and so we pray 02:37 as we yield ourselves to You, 02:38 that Christ will be seen in a marked and special way. 02:42 And we thank you for your promise to answer the prayer 02:44 faith in Jesus' name amen. Amen. 02:48 We want to give you the place to send your questions to 02:51 and there is three different ways. 02:53 You can send them by mail, 02:54 regular mail in care of House Calls at 3ABN. 02:58 You can also call the call center 03:00 and they will take down your questions. 03:01 Some of you have done that in the past 03:02 and continue to do that. 03:04 Others if you know our webs--email address 03:07 housecalls@3abn.org, it's hosecalls@3abn.org 03:11 that is a preferred method, 03:13 but we take several different ways of receiving the call. 03:16 So we thank you all for sending your questions 03:19 and we do our best to not only get to them, 03:22 group them into certain areas and answer them. 03:25 But we just thank you and all of you 03:27 for sending those in. Amen. 03:28 Pastor Murray, why don't you start us off 03:30 with our first question today? 03:32 This one is written to John and John, 03:33 so I suspect you had been discussing 03:37 judgment at sometime. 03:38 I'm grateful for your topic 03:40 and your study on the judgment. 03:41 There was so much that you talked about, 03:45 that was for me, no matter what I do, 03:48 I still feel not good enough and that I'm never reassured 03:52 that I've eternal life, no matter 03:55 how much I believe in Christ and try to follow Him. 03:58 I'm so imperfect that it isn't just the fact that 04:03 I know that we are all 04:05 unworthy of Christ's eternal gift. 04:07 But that no matter what I do, 04:09 I struggle, I'm tired of struggling 04:11 and I want to have the victory 04:13 in my relationship with Christ, 04:15 not just out of sense of duty, 04:17 but out of my love for Christ. 04:20 I'm struggling to learn how to fall in love with Christ. 04:23 Can you offer me any tips and hope that I-- 04:27 about the things that I've just written, 04:29 I'm a struggling Adventist, she says. 04:33 You know, it falls in line with some of stuff 04:35 we were talking about in the last program, 04:36 yeah, that we taped here, making him Lord 04:38 not worrying about the saving part, yeah. 04:41 I think, one, so many Christians are moved 04:47 by their feeling and not by the fact. 04:51 Fact number one, we touched on this First John 1:9, 04:54 "If we confess, He is faithful and just to forgive, 04:59 you confess He forgives". 05:01 That's a fact, that something that God has chosen to do. 05:06 When you come to Me, I will not cast you out, 05:08 either cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out. 05:13 So we have the promise that once you come to Jesus 05:16 and if you come in sincerity, you are accepted, 05:20 it really has nothing to do with you. 05:22 The promise is there before you got that. Yeah. 05:25 You walked into an existing, whenever you jumped 05:27 and board a train, it's already left the station 05:29 it's down the tracks. 05:30 If you come He's gonna accept, 05:33 that's a promise you need to hold onto. 05:35 And then one of my favorite text, 05:37 I have it there before me, 05:40 Romans Chapter 8 verse 1. Yeah. 05:43 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them 05:50 which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, 05:54 but after the Spirit". 05:55 Now what is that saying? 05:57 Once you come to, Christ, pastor as you well know, 06:00 Christ takes you as you are. 06:03 You are out from under the condemnation of the law 06:10 and of anybody else, you are now in Christ Jesus. 06:13 You're not going to have dominion over you anymore. 06:16 This constant nagging your feeling 06:18 is a trick of the enemy. 06:20 Satan wants to keep you bow down 06:23 to think of yourself as unworthy. 06:25 Well, who is worthy? Right. 06:27 Are you worthy? No. 06:29 Am I worthy? No, 06:30 no one is worthy, Jesus is worthy. 06:34 And He has chosen to adopt to, 06:37 to accept you, to sacrifices His blood. 06:39 It is His blood covering your life that makes you worthy. 06:43 So don't worry about your own sense of unworthiness, 06:46 concentrate on Jesus. 06:48 So many times we look at our lives 06:49 and we assess ourselves on that list 06:51 that we talked about in our previous show. 06:53 I'm not doing this, but I'm doing this. 06:55 I'm not doing this, but I'm doing this. 06:57 And if you look at the list, if you look at others 07:00 you'll always see yourself as unworthy. 07:02 What you got to do is focus your eyes on Jesus. 07:05 And Christ says, "I'm not here to condemn you, 07:08 I'm here to save you. Go and sin no more." 07:12 Many times our sense of guilt is 07:15 because maybe we're holding on to something that we, 07:18 we should let go. 07:19 Once your arms are open, once your hands are open, 07:21 once you let go, lash onto, Jesus, 07:25 hold onto Him for dear life. 07:26 He will never let you go, 07:27 He will never leave you, nor forsake you. 07:30 And then you can take that wonderful text 07:32 that I have in Hebrews Chapter 13:5 and 6. 07:34 You can boldly say, 07:35 "God is my helper what can man do to me." 07:37 Once God is on your side, He's never gonna leave you, 07:39 never gonna forsake you which is in Hebrews 13:5, 07:42 Hebrews 13:6 says, "I can boldly say God is my helper." 07:46 So come out from under condemnation, 07:48 don't let the devil play games with your mind. 07:51 Once you are in, Christ Jesus, 07:53 you are saved in, Christ Jesus. 07:55 Bring your sins to Him, He's faithful and just to forgive 07:59 and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 08:01 You know, in the aspect of savior there in Lord, 08:04 I love the assurance in those two things 08:06 and that Jesus is saving you while he is as your Lord 08:10 saving you from sin. Yes. 08:12 And the focus really then is on Jesus with everything. 08:16 Jesus is Savior, Jesus is Lord 08:18 and as you make Him your Lord, 08:20 I heard there also she was saying that, 08:23 she is struggling to find the love for Jesus 08:26 and falling in love with Jesus. 08:29 But, you know, I think that's an aspect of lordship 08:32 that we missed out of unto 08:34 we haven't talk about that aspect yet. 08:35 But, you know, we love how He has saved us 08:39 and what he has done for us on the cross. 08:40 But when where we love Him to the point 08:43 where His life has become our life, 08:47 or our life has become everything with Him 08:50 and it's not a performance base thing from us 08:53 it's the surrendering to Him living through us 08:57 that is going to change that and keep the focus on, 08:59 Christ, in this. Yeah. 09:01 Maybe it's a complicate way of saying it 09:03 but i--all of us struggled with this. Yes, yes. 09:06 I have struggled with this, 09:07 I'm sure you have struggled with this. 09:08 We almost create this list like you say 09:10 and if the balance weighs a little more heavily 09:12 on doing God's work, then I might be okay, 09:14 but I'm still not saying I'm okay, I might be okay. 09:17 I had to force my mind 09:21 to allow God's grace to take control. 09:25 It's by God's grace that He is saving me everybody 09:27 in spite of myself and I got to trust that in Christ work 09:31 in my behalf not in my performance. 09:34 Precisely, so many fall into that category. 09:37 Who is worthy really? No one is worthy. 09:41 You really can't think of it 09:44 in those terms as being worthy, 09:46 what you can, what you can think of it is a sinner 09:49 in need of a Savior and you've got one. 09:52 You've got, Christ Jesus, 09:54 who is living out His life in you and, and through you. 09:58 There is a thought that just leaving my mind right now. 10:01 I don't want to say seen you in moment, 10:03 because I don't accept that. 10:06 But I had something, it just, it just, 10:07 it just slip in my mind. 10:08 But it had to do with the idea of, 10:10 Christ, living out His life in us. 10:12 None of us is worthy. 10:14 But His sacrifice, we've got to live in that hope and, 10:18 and in the belief that, that Christ is sufficient. 10:21 You know, I can say right now 10:22 sitting in this chair I am say, 10:24 now is that bold statement. 10:28 Yeah it is, what Paul made 10:30 the same statement. But it's not boasting. 10:31 Yeah, I'm ready to be offered, I'm ready to go. 10:32 I'm saved, He's not boasting because I believe in Christ. 10:36 Christ says if you're confessing, 10:38 if you're forsaking I'm forgiving and cleansing. 10:41 I'm trusting that promise, 10:42 more than I'm trusting Myself. Right. 10:43 So in that promise I am saying I am saved, 10:46 because I don't know of anything 10:47 that I'm constantly doing 10:48 that I've not surrendered to Him 10:50 and I'm praying for forgiveness 10:52 of my sins every moment, I'm studying, I'm praying, 10:56 I'm preaching, I'm serving 10:58 and I'm surrendered that's all I can do. Yeah. 11:00 And then He has got to do the saving part. 11:01 And He says if I do this, 11:03 He is faithful and just to do this. 11:05 So I can boldly say I am saved, 11:07 I'm in Christ Jesus. 11:08 Not because I trust in me, simply because I trusted Him. 11:11 You know, this is a message for brothers 11:12 and sisters in, Christ, in a church. Yes. 11:15 Because I'll tell you, there are so many times 11:17 where we get into this 11:18 performance based thinking. Yeah. 11:21 Who is worthy to go and who is not worthy to go 11:23 and it prompts us, it motivates some in the church 11:27 to be critical of others, because 11:28 they are not worthy yet to go. Right, right. 11:31 And somehow they are worthy, 11:33 because they've been performing well. 11:35 Precisely, good point, good point. 11:36 And it's just the wrong mentality, 11:39 because it's so works based. Yeah. 11:41 I can't tell you and I know you appreciate these too. 11:44 I can't appreciate more those who are transformed by Christ 11:49 and are so--are much more critical of their own life 11:55 rather than the lives of others. 11:57 They're living in the grace of Christ, 11:59 they're allowing Christ to change them, 12:01 and they're not worried about 12:02 how the performance of others is going to be. 12:03 Or they are concerned out of love 12:06 that the brother or sister in, Christ, 12:08 be in heaven and we're called here, 12:11 there are certain behaviors out there 12:12 to help encourage them to stay on the road. 12:15 But there is nothing in the Bible that I find 12:16 that where to go uncritically manage 12:21 the performance of another in the church. 12:23 Yeah, there is backdoor mindset. 12:25 It says be like me. 12:27 And if you be like me, I'm doing pretty good, 12:29 then you'll be doing pretty good. 12:30 And the Bible says, be like, Christ. Right. 12:32 The person I need to line my life up with is, Jesus. 12:35 Even the most exalted person in the church has worth, 12:40 that you may never seek, true, but Christ sees them. 12:43 So rather than looking at, 12:44 Pastor John, I've got a look at Jesus. 12:47 Because that's the only way 12:48 I get a true picture of myself 12:50 and my relationship with God. 12:52 Not filtered through the lens of anyone else's eyes, 12:55 but filtered through Christ Jesus. 12:57 Amen. Yeah. Good, good advice. 12:59 Here is a question from Floyd. 13:02 And he is asking here, sometime back he says, 13:05 I wrote about a question 13:06 about the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven. 13:09 I'm unfamiliar with the doctrine. 13:11 I ask for some scripture to read or a book about it, 13:14 but I haven't received an answer. 13:17 Maybe you'll get to the subject here this time. 13:19 And so maybe we can just share a few thoughts 13:23 on the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven 13:25 what we're talking about here. 13:28 I'm gonna give us 13:30 or at least talk about three scriptures here. 13:32 The first one is undeniably Daniel Chapter 8. 13:37 In Daniel Chapter 8, is where cleansing 13:39 of the sanctuary those words are found. 13:45 I have committed to my eternal memory Daniel 8:14, 13:50 because when I was taking Daniel in undergrad 13:53 I was carrying an 'A' throughout the whole year 13:55 and on the final exam I inverted, 13:58 I put Daniel 14:8 instead of 8:14 14:01 and my professor said 14:03 you only missed one question on this whole final. 14:05 You wrote Daniel 14:8 and I said I know, 14:08 it is 8:14, he says I can't give you an 'A'. 14:10 He said no Adventist preacher could ever. Oh, no. 14:14 I said I just inverted and he said no I'm sorry. 14:16 Can't give you an 'A', so-- 14:17 You didn't tell about the time 14:18 you stepped up in front of the camera 14:20 and said Daniel 14:8. 14:23 That's right, I said Daniel 14:8 instead of 8:14 14:26 on the paper so I got a 'B' out of course and not an 'A.' 14:30 Oh, that's, that's discouraging. 14:32 You're gonna be a minister I can't give it to you. 14:36 So it' Daniel 8:14. 14:38 Daniel 8:14 it says here, "And he said to me," 14:43 and this is the angels speaking to Daniel 14:45 "for 2300 days, 14:48 then the sanctuary shall be cleansed." 14:51 And so being a prophetic vision here 14:55 the 2300 days is 2300 years 14:58 and we can talk a lot about this, 15:00 but we're not gonna spend time on the 2300 years now 15:03 but what we want to say 15:05 is that the culminating event here 15:08 after the 2300 years, 15:10 pastor is the cleansing of the sanctuary, 15:14 or the sanctuary being cleansed. 15:17 And so, you know, what does that mean. 15:19 Now we know what during the great awakening, 15:23 we know how it was interpreted, 15:25 it was interpreted by the Millerites, 15:28 who were Baptist, and Lutherans, 15:31 and Presbyterians, 15:32 and Pentecostals, and everyone else. 15:35 He was interpreted by those following, 15:37 William Miller, the Millerities 15:39 as they were known that the sanctuary was the earth 15:42 and the cleansing was by fire. 15:44 Now those both being leaps of faith, 15:47 because there is nothing in the Bible 15:48 that tells us that. Yes, yes. 15:51 But that's what they had come up with 15:53 and they understood and they believe that 15:55 if the cleansing was by fire at Christ return, 15:58 then Christ is coming in 1844 and we will see Him. 16:02 Let's prepared to meet Him and they did. 16:05 He didn't come, we're still here 16:08 and as those Millerites, some of them returned back 16:11 to their churches kind of disappeared in the woodwork, 16:14 some even lost their faith. 16:15 But there were some who said you know what, 16:18 the dates weren't wrong, the prophecy is not wrong, 16:22 there is a cleansing of the sanctuary 16:23 that is occurring now, beginning now. 16:26 What is that we're missing? 16:27 They discovered that there was Bible reference, 16:30 there was Bible explanation 16:34 for cleansing of the sanctuary. Yes, yes. 16:38 And so we've got to go there 16:39 to see really what this means. 16:40 Right, we need to look at the sanctuary service 16:45 and determine this idea of the sanctuary is, 16:51 is the one, one of the unique gifts 16:54 of the Seventh-day Adventist church to the pot, 16:57 or the pool of what we call systematic theology 16:59 or doctrines. 17:01 The idea, as you see the sanctuary service 17:04 as depicted in the Old Testament. 17:06 It is in microcosm what is happening in the universe 17:10 and that what happened on the Day of Atonement, 17:15 is happening in a cosmic sense 17:18 on a wider scale even in heaven now. 17:20 So that at the end of the Day of Atonement, 17:21 you were either clean or unclean, 17:24 you were either in or out. 17:26 And that is what's happening in heaven as we speak that, 17:30 when this service is over, 17:34 judgment is set for the universe for all time. 17:39 That idea was put forth by the early Adventist Church 17:44 and it is our one sort of giving the Sabbath, 17:47 the other denomination is keeping Sabbath, 17:49 the other denomination is keeping 17:50 who don't eat unclean meat. 17:53 But this idea of sanctuary is one of the gifts that, 17:57 this church had been pleased to put 17:58 in that pool of systematic theology. Right. 18:00 And it gives us a correct understanding 18:02 of where we are in the course of time, 18:04 of what's going on in heaven right now, 18:06 and what's going happen when Christ returns. 18:09 To set this up here we need to look at, 18:12 you know, as far as ceremonial services 18:14 and the sanctuary service is a another way of saying that, 18:17 what we find in the annual system 18:21 that repeated itself every single year. Yes. 18:24 With the Israelites, that and with the Jews that, 18:28 that system really overlays. 18:31 It's a shadow of the plan of salvation that overlays time. 18:36 Time I guess you call 18:38 a probationary time for this earth 18:40 and that its God's method 18:44 by providing His Son Jesus to die, 18:46 its His method of saving humankind, 18:48 He is saving all of us. 18:50 And as we begin to, you know, take a look at this, 18:55 we go from the first day 18:57 through until the Day of Atonement, 18:58 we see a daily service occurring, called the Daily, 19:02 which is the bringing of animals for sacrifice 19:05 when sins are committed and that those Daily that, 19:08 that constant flame going which was an indication 19:11 that God was still interceding 19:13 or He was at work forgiving mankind of their sins. 19:17 And then all of a sudden we get to the end of the year, 19:19 we find this word Atonement. 19:23 Atonement being made up of three words 19:26 "at one ment". Surely. 19:28 It's reconciliation with God, it's the completion, 19:30 of the finalization of bringing man 19:32 together with God again. 19:33 Marriage is another, 19:35 you know, analogy of what happens 19:37 when God and men reconcile. 19:40 But this atonement is Day of Atonement is a shadow 19:46 of what God is doing in heaven. 19:48 In the heavenly sanctuary, 19:49 we'll go to that in just a minute. 19:50 But I want to read from Leviticus Chapter 16, 19:54 let see in verse 16:16 first talking about the high priest 20:01 on that day which is the only one that could administer, 20:03 or could intercede in behalf of the people it says, 20:07 "He shall make atonement for the holy place, 20:10 because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, 20:12 and because of their transgressions 20:14 for all their sins and so he shall do 20:17 for the tabernacle of meeting, 20:19 which remains among them 20:20 in the midst of their uncleanness". 20:22 In other words there isn't pastor, 20:24 just a cleansing of the sins of the people 20:28 what He is doing is, 20:29 is the cleansing of the sanctuary 20:30 which is the container, 20:31 the symbolic container of those sins. 20:34 Yes, yes, yes. 20:35 And we also know the other imagery is very clear, 20:37 you know, Christ is the veil as well, 20:39 you know, He is part of the objects, 20:41 He is part of what's going on in there. 20:43 So in many ways, Christ, took on our sin 20:46 on His body as He died on the cross too, 20:48 but this sanctuary representing, Christ, as well, 20:52 is the container annually 20:54 for the sins that people had brought for forgiveness. 20:58 And during the sacrifice of these animals, 21:01 just an example, the head of the house 21:03 would actually lay their hand on the, 21:05 the head of the animal, 21:06 confess the sins over the animal 21:09 and then the animal would be slain right there. Yes. 21:13 And then the some of the blood would come 21:14 into the sanctuary to be sprinkled on a veil. 21:17 And then this would happen on a daily basis, 21:19 but then on the, Day of Atonement, 21:21 this priest as we just read would cleanse, 21:24 would make atonement 21:26 and cleanse the entire sanctuary 21:28 and the sins of the people-- 21:29 Yeah, this was all, 21:31 of course as you know not symbolic, 21:32 because you're dealing with people 21:34 who could not read or write. 21:35 And so the sanctuary service actually thought them 21:38 about their relationship with God. 21:40 It thought them how sins were transferred 21:42 and looked forward to the coming of a Savior, 21:44 who would do all of this, but ceremonially 21:46 as those sins were removed from the people, 21:49 they were warehouse for one of the better term 21:51 in the sanctuary and then of course once a year, 21:54 the sanctuary had to be cleansed. 21:55 It had to be cleansed, blood was brought in, 21:57 other things were brought in. 22:00 And the sins were warehouse, 22:01 they had to be cleansed and of course at that time, 22:05 all other people had to make an ultimate decision, 22:07 you're in, you're out. 22:09 You're part of it you're not part of it. 22:11 And of course at the end of the day, 22:12 if they were not part of that ceremony, 22:14 they were cut off. Right. 22:16 So in a wider sense, that's happening now in heaven. 22:21 Christ, is deciding our faiths in heaven. 22:23 One day, He will say as Revelation speaks, 22:26 "He that is just, let him be just still, 22:28 he is unjust, let him be unjust. 22:30 So that is the final determination 22:33 and of course Revelation 22 says, 22:35 "When He comes back, His reward is with Him." 22:37 So at the close of the age of this earth, 22:41 the sanctuary will have been cleansed, 22:44 the sins will have been dealt with 22:45 and God's people are now ready to 22:47 inhabit eternity and to live with Him. 22:49 So we see in that sanctuary service, 22:52 a microcosm, enactment of what is happening 22:55 in the universal sense 22:57 even in the courts of glory right now. 22:58 Jesus sacrificing His life or giving His life 23:01 for up on the cross is symbolized 23:04 by the Lamb of God. Surely. 23:06 It takes away the sin of the world, 23:07 it's not proclaimed that lamb that goes 23:10 that is put on the altar 23:11 after it was slain and burned. 23:13 That altar represents the cross, 23:16 but then from there, we know the blood it goes 23:18 into the sanctuary and that's where 23:19 we bring Hebrews into play, because the high priest 23:23 was also a representation of, Christ. 23:25 See everything in the sanctuary of old 23:27 was a representation, a symbolic representation of, 23:30 Christ, a shadow of things to come. Yes. 23:32 Not the little but a picture of them. 23:35 And so that's why I think the devil is trying 23:37 so hard to get rid of the Old Testament. Yes. 23:40 You know, I've heard. 23:42 I've heard so many times, 23:43 I'm a New Testament Christian. 23:44 I live by grace not by law. 23:45 There is dispensation theory, there is so much that 23:48 sin is introduce to get us 23:50 not to look back at the Old Testament. 23:53 And this is a significant part of the Old Testament 23:55 in that it helps us understand 23:56 what Christ is doing for us now. 23:59 Pastor Murray, why hasn't He comeback? 24:02 Why hasn't He comeback yet? 24:03 I mean, come on He's been up there for 2000 years, 24:06 why hasn't He returned? 24:08 Well, Second Peter tells us that He is not slack 24:11 concerning His promise, but long suffering, 24:13 not wanting for any to perish which means, 24:15 He is continuing to intercede for us 24:17 as our high priest which is, 24:19 I think, where you're going to, 24:20 right in Hebrews to find something-- 24:22 That's where I'm going, I'm--I was trying to find, 24:24 it escaped me now but the text I'm looking for says 24:27 that the blood of bulls and goats. 24:31 And even now we have could never 24:33 really cleanse us for sin, 24:34 but Christ has once and for all done that for us 24:37 and it's got to be has done that for us. 24:42 And has-- 9:22 beginning with 22-- 24:46 That was 9 I'm in 9 and start with about 22. 24:53 Okay, "And almost all things 24:56 are by the law purged with blood, 24:58 without the shedding of blood there is no remission. 25:01 It was therefore necessary, that the pattern of things 25:04 in the heaven should be purified with these, 25:07 but the heavenly things themselves 25:09 with better sacrifices than these. 25:11 For, Christ, is not entered into the holy place 25:13 made with hands, which are figures of the true, 25:16 but into heaven itself, 25:17 now to appear in the presence of God." 25:19 And so it walks us through this process 25:22 that what we see on earth 25:23 is a pattern of what is going on in heaven. 25:26 So when we study the sanctuary 25:28 doctrine here on earth, 25:29 the sanctuary services here on earth, 25:31 we see what is going on in a cosmic sense 25:34 in glory right now. 25:35 Look at 13 and 14 25:36 that's exactly the one you're looking for, verse 13 and 14. 25:40 "For if the blood of bulls and goats 25:42 and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, 25:44 sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh". 25:46 That's the one I want, yes. 25:47 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, 25:50 who through the eternal spirit 25:52 offered Himself without spot to God, 25:55 cleanse your conscience from dead works 25:57 to serve the living God?" 25:58 There is that cleansing again. Yes, yes. 26:00 So if the sanctuary service point to, Christ, 26:02 as being our sacrifice, 26:03 doesn't it also point to a Day of Atonement, 26:06 a reckoning, a bring together of God 26:09 and His people in the heavenly sanctuary, 26:11 where He is our high priest. 26:13 Absolutely, and that's what 26:16 Daniel 8:14 is talking about of the end of time 26:19 the sanctuary will be cleansed. 26:20 In other words that process, yes, of finishing the work, 26:23 of cleansing of the high priest 26:25 doing His last right, so to speak, 26:29 Jesus interceding for us, when He finishes that 26:33 and He leaves the heavenly place, 26:34 He leaves the sanctuary, 26:36 it will be finished He will come and take us home. 26:39 Precisely, let me back off just one text, John, 26:41 sure, if we go to Hebrews 9:12 26:44 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, 26:47 but by his own blood, he entered in once." 26:50 That's the idea, that once a year, 26:52 once a year, once for all eternity, 26:55 you know, it transfers "Into the holy place 26:58 having obtained eternal redemption for us." 27:01 So the high priest went in once a year 27:04 in the ancient sanctuary service, 27:06 Christ goes in one time and when He comes out, 27:09 it is done. Right. 27:10 It is finished, the sanctuary is cleansed 27:13 and our sins are dealt with and we're now atoned, 27:16 we're at one with God throughout eternity. 27:19 Now here's the couple tidbits to study, 27:21 because this is really kind of neat. 27:24 At the ends of the atonement process, 27:26 the people were very, it was an exciting time, 27:29 it wasn't a somber time, when it was over, 27:30 yes, they were thrilled, 27:32 because their sins had been dealt with. 27:34 And it was symbolic for the present time 27:36 as Hebrews 9 verse 9 says. 27:38 At the present time they understood the symbol 27:41 and that was the way they declared their faith 27:43 in a coming high priest, a coming redeemer, 27:46 who would literally do these things for them. Yes. 27:49 But after that if you read in a bit more 27:52 in Leviticus Chapter 16 it talks about, 27:58 the cleansing, what the cleansing actually does. 28:02 And it says here in verse 29 of Leviticus 16. 28:06 "This shall be a statute forever for you, 28:09 in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month 28:11 you shall afflict your souls". 28:12 In other words, you shall search your own heart, 28:15 what is it, that is between me and my God 28:17 that I want, I need to confess 28:19 to make sure that it is, 28:21 it is cleansed by the blood of Christ. 28:24 And it says in "Do no work at all," 28:25 it was Sabbath, ceremonial Sabbath day. 28:29 Verse 30 "For on that day 28:30 the priest shall make atonement for you, 28:32 to cleanse you. 28:35 That you may be clean from all your sins 28:37 before the Lord it is a Sabbath of solemn rest 28:41 for you and you shall afflict your souls, 28:42 it is a statute for ever." 28:45 And then if you go, if you read else where, 28:47 here it talks about two goats, they took two goats. 28:52 When they cleansed the sanctuary, 28:54 those sins that accumulated there 28:57 where transferred to the live goat. 29:01 Now this isn't the transfer to, Christ, 29:03 that has already occurred 29:04 in the courtyard in the altar. 29:06 This transfer was upon the goat 29:10 that didn't bear the sins for us, 29:13 but that was responsible for sin in the beginning, 29:17 Satan himself. Yes. 29:19 As a scapegoat it calls him, 29:22 all those sins were put on him 29:24 and a fit man a strong man 29:25 took that goat out to the wilderness 29:27 and let him wander and tell, you know, his end. 29:32 And that wilderness was this bottomless kick 29:35 kind of an experience that he would experience 29:37 and we find that language use in Revelation Chapter 20. 29:43 This is wonderful at the end of time we find that, 29:45 Jesus, comes after the atonement has been made, 29:47 He comes back to take His people to heaven with Him. 29:51 And it says in the beginning of Revelation Chapter 20, 29:54 "I saw an angel coming down from heaven, 29:56 having the key to the bottomless pit" 29:58 that were bottomless pit is abusos, 30:00 the abyss, the nothingness, the void, 30:03 void earth with nothing on it, 30:06 because the earth has been destroyed 30:07 by the brightness of His coming. 30:09 It says "He had a great chain in His hand 30:11 and He laid hold of the dragon, 30:13 the serpent of old who is the devil and Satan, 30:15 and bound him for 1000 years." 30:17 This imagery pastor, this imagery is so similar. Yes. 30:22 To that fit man grabbing that goat 30:24 and taking him out to the wilderness 30:26 and leaving him there to wander. 30:29 We can't, its undeniable. 30:31 This is the literal fulfillment 30:32 of that event. Yes. 30:34 Where sin is forever then, 30:37 put on Satan to then wander and to. Precisely. 30:42 To die eventually in the lake of fire. 30:43 It's very powerful study, 30:45 now this study could consume several programs by itself, 30:48 because in the text you read in Leviticus 16 30:50 were it says, it's making a-- 30:53 Lord is making atonement for you just a few verses later, 30:56 He also says in that same service 30:58 He's making atonement for the sanctuary, 31:00 for the cleansing of the sanctuary. 31:01 So this cleansing of the sanctuary is 31:05 cleansing us, it's atonement for us, 31:07 it's also atonement for the place and it is this, 31:10 this melding of the two that we understand 31:14 Christ is taking care once and for all, for us. 31:16 So that when this is done, salvation has been completed, 31:20 the benefits of, Christ, 31:22 sacrifice on the cross has been completed 31:25 and we are now at one with God. 31:27 This is a great study that I would encourage any of you, 31:30 you really want to bite down on something dare I say. 31:33 This is a good one because this--first of all 31:35 we refer you to know what Christ is doing, 31:37 but also anchors you as to what's going on right now. 31:40 What is happening in the stream of time? 31:43 It gives you an understanding of 31:44 where we are in relation to Christ 31:46 and where we are in a general sense 31:48 in relation to the end of the world, yeah. 31:50 Compare Leviticus 16 with Hebrews 31:52 and the chapters we were reading 31:54 from there 7 through 9, I mean 7 through 10. 31:57 Through 10 yes, yes, yes. 31:58 And you'll find just a better understanding of Hebrews 32:01 that you had not understood before 32:03 and of course what, Christ, is doing now. 32:06 This is exciting stuff, this is you're doing 32:08 advance Bible study when you work-- 32:10 This is neat. 32:11 But this will come through to you in a beautiful sense 32:15 and this will anchor your faith in God 32:18 in a powerful way and really give you confidence that, 32:21 Christ, is working for you, with you and through you 32:26 to get you into heaven with Him. Amen. 32:28 Yeah, praise God. Yeah, another quick one. 32:31 This person simply wants to know, I think its, Trevor. 32:36 Where do we get 10 percent from where is it, 32:39 does it say that 10 percent is your tithe. 32:44 When a Sabbath--from Malachi through that 32:46 tithe is an important part of our relationship with God. 32:49 And God has promised, 32:51 He has put Himself on the line to say 32:54 when we pay our tithes, when we give God what He deserves, 32:58 He will make sure that we get what we deserve. 33:03 He says "prove Me, test Me, try Me now herewith, 33:07 saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you 33:10 the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, 33:13 that there shall not be room enough to receive it." 33:15 And I maintain, John, that so many times 33:18 we limit our blessings to finance 33:20 and they do include finance. 33:21 But having a good friend is a blessing. 33:25 Going to a church that preaches 33:27 the whole truth and nothing, but the truth is a blessing. 33:30 Being able to sleep at night knowing that 33:32 you've treated your fellows honestly is a blessing. 33:36 Having a secure marriage, a husband, or wife, 33:39 who loves you and says it to you is a blessing. 33:42 Having children that honor their parents by obeying, 33:46 staying out of trouble is a blessing. 33:49 There are so many blessings that are in addition 33:51 to just having a fat bank account 33:54 that we turn to reject, 33:55 because we may not have a fat back account, 33:57 well, God is not keeping His word. 33:58 Oh, He is, look at the total of your life. 34:02 Tell you a quick story. 34:03 There is a song that I sing, 34:06 it's on my CD and when I talk to the writer of the song 34:09 to get permission to do it. 34:11 She told me it came from an experience that she had, 34:14 Thanksgiving Day, everybody had come to our house 34:16 all her relatives, dinner is over, 34:20 husband sleep on in front of cot watching football, 34:22 football watching him. 34:23 She is in a kitchen looking at this mountain of dishes 34:26 and dishwasher is not working 34:28 and she is really, really angry, 34:29 because she has got this mountain of dishes. 34:32 She said, nobody is here to help me 34:33 I got this mountain of dishes and just upset 34:37 and then the Lord said to her, 34:39 think about it first of all 34:40 you've got a house to bring people to. 34:42 You've got friends that want to come. 34:45 You have enough finances to prepare all this food. 34:48 And you've had the health to cooking. 34:50 So stop complaining and get to washing 34:53 and so she says, 34:54 she say, you know, the Lord convicted me. 34:57 And she was going to call the song, 34:58 her name is Gale Murphy, 35:00 she wasn't going to call the song, 35:01 the dish washing song. 35:02 But she call it Jesus lifts me. 35:04 And basically she said, 35:05 you know, when I looked at my life, 35:07 I had so much to be thankful for. 35:09 Yeah, I've had a mountain of dishes, 35:10 but it meant that there were mountain of people 35:12 in this house little while ago, who loved us enough, 35:14 who we loved enough to share Thanksgiving Day with. 35:17 So, you know, you got to count your blessings. Thant's right. 35:19 You know, before you complain, 35:20 because God is so very, very good. 35:22 And the whole system of tithing 35:23 isn't giving to get. Right. 35:26 It's returning to God what He has already given. 35:28 Yeah, yeah and the truth is you can't beat God giving. 35:30 So when you give he will see that-- 35:33 See to it that's you get, so now the text, 35:34 and here is the text. 35:35 Genesis 28:2 I think, Genesis 28, 35:46 you know, I--this is the Bible 35:47 that I keep in my office, I doesn't use that often, 35:49 in our new Bible, the pages are stick together. 35:54 Genesis 28:22 I want 22, 28: 22. 36:02 "And, and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, 36:06 shall be God's house, and of all that thou shalt give me 36:11 I will surely give the tenth unto thee". 36:15 The tenth unto thee, and so that is one of many texts 36:20 where we've established God's portion as a tenth. 36:24 I've had people, I had a woman come to my church years ago 36:27 and she brought me her, her budget. 36:30 And she said I cannot pay tithe, 36:33 I pay rent this, this is my gas, 36:35 I go to work, this is my food, 36:38 this is my electrical, this is my phone 36:41 I don't have the money to pay tithe. 36:44 And I told her living that close to the edge, 36:47 you cannot afford not to pay tithes, 36:50 because if one little thing goes out of line, 36:52 you have no money to do anything-- 36:54 You need God's blessing. 36:55 You need God's blessing on that 36:56 because you're right at the edge, 36:58 you don't have any bigger room. 37:00 You need God more than you think 37:01 and so she tried it and the Lord worked it out 37:04 and she got a raise at her job and I assured her, 37:08 that raise wouldn't have come unless you trusted God, 37:12 but she came back, she said I can do it now. 37:14 But see, it's not because you can do it, 37:16 is because you love God enough to do it, 37:19 whether you see it or not, because that's God's money 37:22 and you don't want to be-- 37:24 You know, the little story there in Malachi 3 37:26 where in heavenly rob thee, stealing from God. 37:29 Oh, what's stealing, 37:30 taking what doesn't belong to you. Right. 37:32 In tithe, and an offering, and of course. 37:34 you're, you're nine-tens with God 37:37 is better than ten-tens without Him. 37:39 Absolutely. Surely. 37:40 Good, good, there is a quick question here 37:43 from, Aubrey, asking from Matthew, 37:47 the Great Commission Matthew 28, 37:50 To preach teach him baptized as a lay person 37:53 when are we ready to baptized others 37:54 as the great commission says to do. 37:57 Or there are present or possible present 37:59 and future implications about this issue. 38:02 Well, you know, the preaching and teaching 38:05 comes as the Lord leads us to give testimony, 38:09 every opportunity that we possibly can confined 38:11 to share the love of God, 38:13 what He has done for us personally. 38:15 The baptizing it seems to be, 38:18 you know, it's indicated from the Old Testament 38:20 the Book of Acts 38:22 and the church itself is it grew, 38:25 all the baptized it was from the apostles 38:28 are those that were specially ordained 38:29 or had their hands laid on them for that purpose. 38:32 And today as a church has grown to a much larger, 38:35 a larger church that responsibility 38:38 has flown upon the pastors. 38:41 And those who ordains specifically 38:42 as the heads of the church to perform that 38:44 and so typically that's we have seen in, 38:48 any baptism service even if it's a large baptism service 38:50 who with many people you get various pastors 38:52 from the area that come and do the baptizing. 38:55 And I've seen some occasions 38:56 where the pastor simply not available 38:59 and through the conference or something 39:00 there is an okay for the elder to administer 39:03 and to do some baptizing, but generally it's done by 39:07 those with their hands that have been laid on them 39:09 specifically for the purpose 39:10 of bringing the gospel as a pastor, 39:12 to those for, for baptism. 39:15 Now having said that it doesn't--it 39:16 in no ways negates the obligation 39:19 of all of God's people to live for Christ 39:22 and to evangelize for Christ. Right. 39:24 Now question that commission was given 39:25 there was no church superstructure, 39:29 you know, to sort of triage things, 39:31 to sort of care of things and so, 39:32 Christ, commissioned His disciples, 39:34 teach them and then baptized them in Jesus name. 39:36 And of course that went on for many, many centuries 39:39 and as a church began to get structure 39:43 its set aside people even as those disciples were 39:46 set aside to do that. 39:48 So now we have a church structure 39:50 that baptizes people 39:52 into membership in the church of God. 39:54 But still all of us are called to be priest 39:56 and to teach and to instruct 39:57 and to prepare people for baptism 40:00 through our instruction, through Bible study, 40:02 through evangelism. 40:03 Yeah, and it talks about adding it 40:05 adding to the church those who are being saved. Yes. 40:07 In the context of the baptism-- 40:09 That was occurring, 40:10 so they were being added to the church. 40:12 It's interesting, the church that I, 40:15 I you know, pastoring when I got there, 40:19 there were some who did not know when they are baptized, 40:21 they become part of the church. 40:23 They weren't told that. 40:25 I say how, how do you now know that, 40:27 but I guess the person that was doing the baptism. 40:30 And so that's why to a great degree, 40:33 one of the big reasons that you have individuals 40:35 who are ordained, they understand baptism, 40:38 they help to get people ready and to baptized, 40:40 because, there baptism is a big issue. 40:43 It is important thing and you want to do it right 40:46 and you want to make sure that 40:47 those who are being baptized, or ready to be baptized, 40:50 know what decision you're making 40:51 and know what's happening as a result to that. 40:54 If you had everybody out there 40:56 grabbing a pool of water baptizing them now 40:58 with the structure, the church is the way it is. Yeah. 41:00 How do you know, how God's work is going forward 41:02 and what's happening so there is the other reasons why. 41:05 And it's, it's only fair that a person 41:07 be fully aware of cognized of what is expected of them, 41:13 once they join a church of God. 41:14 So you need to teach and preach 41:16 and instruct, then baptize. 41:17 So it's only fair that you know, 41:19 if you're going to become 41:20 a "card carry" member of this organization, 41:23 you know the rules of the road. Right. 41:25 You know, what was going on. 41:27 So you, baptism is a cognitive thing, 41:30 I understand, I have a working relation with Jesus, 41:32 I know what Jesus expects of me, 41:34 so now I want the world to know that 41:37 I accept what Christ expects of me more than that 41:40 I follow it gladly, because I want to be 41:42 one with Him. Right. 41:43 Yeah. Amen. 41:44 Thank you so much for your questions, 41:46 they've been very, very good today. 41:48 And we are, they are everyday, 41:50 but we really enjoy the variety of topics 41:52 and the questions that you bring. 41:54 And make sure you send those questions into 41:56 housecalls@3abn.org, housecalls@3abn.org 42:01 or write them in. 42:03 You can even call the call center 42:04 and they will make sure those questions get to us 42:06 on our email address. 42:08 So thank you again for doing that, 42:10 for being part of our program. 42:12 Pastor we're gonna continue 42:14 and hopefully conclude our topic here today, 42:17 and its part two of the topic really on, 42:20 Jesus, as Savior and Lord. Lord, yeah. 42:23 And what the two differences are 42:24 and I think we, we really have begun to dive 42:27 into the lordship aspect of, 42:29 Jesus, in our relationship with Him 42:31 and what all is involved with that 42:34 and to kind of springboard today, 42:36 I though I would read a text here, 42:38 to show how important, Jesus, actually several text 42:42 how important Jesus felt or believed, 42:45 it was, knew it was, for those who were being saved 42:50 by His work to also be led by Him 42:53 in discipleship as their Lord 42:56 and of course their Savior. Yes. 42:58 And so I've got a few texts, 42:59 that I like to read the first one is 43:01 Matthew 7:21 to 23 and then there is couple others 43:06 that we'll, we'll share here as well. 43:11 Before I read this, I just like to make a comment 43:15 that the words, Lord, Lord, repeated back to back 43:20 only occur four times. 43:23 And it's not an exclamation point 43:26 where the translator decided to just put Lord twice. 43:29 Jesus is saying these words twice 43:32 and He seems to be emphasizing something 43:34 and you will find a similar vein of thought 43:36 context into what He is saying by this, 43:40 by repeating this word. 43:42 And I think you'll also begin to see 43:43 the importance of calling, Jesus Lord. 43:46 And the difference between those who do 43:48 and those who don't. 43:50 Matthew 7 verse 21 it says, 43:53 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord," 43:56 there is the first time that we see this here 43:59 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 44:02 but he who does the will of my father in heaven. 44:06 Many will say to me in that day, 44:08 Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? 44:12 Cast out demons in your name? 44:14 And they're many wonders in your name? 44:16 And then I will declare to them, 44:18 'I never knew you, depart from me, 44:21 you who practice lawlessness". 44:24 So boring words to even contemplate, 44:27 you know, for but they happen to any of us. 44:31 But here he uses this the term Lord, Lord. Yes. 44:35 And He is emphasizing something here. 44:37 God doesn't just repeat things twice for no reason 44:40 and He seems to talking about 44:41 those who go around and call Him Lord 44:44 almost frivolously. Yes. 44:46 But aren't really doing what a person 44:49 who makes someone their Lord does, 44:52 they're not disciples, they don't follow Him, 44:54 they don't obey Him, 44:55 they don't live according to His ways. 44:57 In fact they tell Him 44:58 that those who obey Him are legalism, 44:59 into legalism instead of, you know, 45:01 what we know is just someone 45:03 who follows who loves the Lord, 45:04 wants to do the things that 45:05 their Lord tells them to do. Yes. 45:07 Anyway so this is the problem, 45:08 and that will happen at the end of time, 45:10 I believe its happening today. Powerful. 45:14 And I think, there are many people who, 45:18 because of calling on the Lord assume 45:22 that all is well with the Lord. 45:23 And we'll be surprised to know 45:26 that even claiming Him is not, 45:30 is not enough, even a history of Him 45:35 tiding up your mistakes is not enough. 45:38 As we're alluded in there what, alluded to, 45:40 we said it in the last program, 45:42 it's not enough to have Jesus, as your butler, 45:45 or your sanitation worker to cleanup behind you, 45:49 you want to put Him in the front seat 45:51 as an old friend of mine in Cleveland used to say. 45:54 You want Him driving the bus, 45:56 you know, and you following in His steps 45:59 which will keep you from making 46:00 so many future mistakes. Yeah. 46:02 And guarantees you that, 46:03 that you're still one with the Lord. 46:06 You know, that's the good way in putting, 46:07 because you know, we've been talking about it 46:09 in different ways but, as a Savior 46:11 He has cleanup your past. Yeah. 46:13 You know, you can't repeat that. Yeah. 46:15 He took your sins upon Him and He died for those sins. 46:19 And the sins of the future as well, 46:20 but the lordship of Christ is really about your ongoing, 46:23 your forward relationship with Him. Yes. 46:24 You got to put Him first. 46:26 Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I got that illusion, 46:29 so many people say, they want a maid, 46:31 they want someone to just cleanup their mistakes. 46:33 And Jesus will do that, He has promised to do that, 46:35 but He has also promised to cleanse 46:37 and to keep you, right, from sinning. 46:41 He that, that is in Christ does not sin, 46:44 or does not continue to sin, Hebrews tells us, 46:47 because the power of God is working 46:48 and so we need more than just a butler or maid. Yeah. 46:51 We need somebody to come in and keep us from sin. 46:55 You know, it's one of the reasons 46:56 I think I've had a problem with the phrase God saved. 47:01 I mean, I know what He's meant by that, 47:04 but there are sometimes the term is used 47:07 so just like got milk. 47:10 I mean, I got saved 47:13 and I understand getting saved, 47:15 we are saved when we accept Christ as our Savior, 47:17 but if you talk about it as just a past event 47:22 and not ongoing salvation experience as Him 47:25 being your Lord of your-- The Lord of your life. 47:28 Then you can almost forget that you wherever lost, 47:32 or that you're still not worthy of what He gives you. 47:35 You know, that's very true. 47:36 There is a very subtle shade of meaning. 47:39 I got saved, it's like okay 47:41 we, we put it on switch, is on position 47:43 and it's just runs on its own. Yeah. 47:46 The danger is you can forget 47:48 about the necessity of daily surrender 47:50 and walking with Christ. Yeah. 47:52 I turned nothing on last week, 47:54 its still run, you know, no, you've got to watch it 47:57 and make sure that. 47:58 I brought a few into it for years. 48:00 That's right. Yeah, it runs. 48:02 It still run and I've checked it lately, 48:03 but it's still running, so you assume that is on, 48:07 when it maybe off, yeah very much so. 48:10 You know, and that is really 48:11 what's happening in this verse we just read. 48:13 These people are calling Jesus their Lord, 48:15 they're talking about Him. 48:16 They're performing miracles in His name 48:18 and they don't even know Him, in fact they are lost. 48:20 So to say that I believe that once you're saved, 48:24 you're always saved. 48:26 Flies in the face of good biblical interpretation, 48:31 because they are clearly some experiences 48:33 of those including the ones that, 48:35 Jesus, is speaking of here. 48:36 We find other references, Peter, Peter talks about, 48:39 you know, those who have 48:40 tasted the goodness of God. Yes, yes. 48:42 That is impossible to renew them to salvation, 48:45 it's clear they've walk away, 48:46 they stepped away and they are lost. 48:49 John, in First John talks about 48:51 those who commit sins unto death 48:53 and those committing sins not unto death 48:55 speaking of those who have basically 48:57 put the Lord out of their life 48:58 and want to nothing to do it, 49:00 they won't written Him off those leading to death. Yeah. 49:02 Or those who are committing sins, 49:04 but it's in the context of their relationship with, 49:07 Jesus, as their Savior 49:08 and they want to do what's right, 49:09 He is saving them from their sins. 49:10 Precisely, and it's a great, a great, great point, John. 49:14 The Bible says, "brethren I write this thing 49:16 that you sin not. 49:17 But if you sin, you've got advocate of father. 49:20 Now how do you get in that state, 49:21 because you have an existing relationship 49:23 with Christ. That's right. 49:24 I am writing to you that, that you don't sin. 49:26 I don't want you to sin, but if you make a mistake, 49:29 sin not unto death you have an advocate with the father. 49:32 So on a kind of your relationship, 49:34 or given the context of your relationship, 49:37 Christ, is there taking care of that sin. Yeah. 49:39 You know, you're driving on the road 49:42 and you're trying to get somebody 49:43 and somebody cuts you off, you don't say anything 49:44 but something pops in your brain. Right. 49:46 That's a sin. Right. 49:47 Never comes out of your mouth, 49:48 but is there. Right. 49:49 You know, it's there, Jesus, knows its there. 49:51 You've got someone to cover that you know, 49:53 because you've got an existing relationship, 49:55 a faith based relationship with God 49:58 and something just kind of jumped on you real fast 50:00 and you repent of it, you confess it. 50:02 It's gone. That's right. 50:03 Yeah it's gone and, Christ, guarantees you its gone. 50:06 So it's not, it's not going to stand in the way, 50:08 because it's dealt with, because you got it 50:10 and it hasn't changed your relationship. 50:12 That's right. You are still saved. 50:14 You made a mistake, 50:15 Jesus, is there covering that mistake. 50:18 This is so important, because there are some 50:20 who are discouraged as the lady 50:21 that we talked about before in one of questions 50:23 that they committed a sin, 50:25 or their life isn't as stable 50:27 in their relationship with God as it should be. 50:30 And they think they are constantly 50:32 when they are at church they are saved 50:34 and then they leave the church for the weekend 50:35 and then they are lost and they are saved 50:37 and then they are lost. Yeah. 50:38 You know, what this scripture you are talking about 50:41 First John the last part of verse 1 50:43 and the end of Chapter 2 about 50:45 that we have an advocate with the Father, 50:47 Jesus Christ, of righteous if we sin. 50:49 What is going on with, Jesus, in the heavenly sanctuary, 50:52 is in our relationship with Him as our Savior, 50:54 as we're walking with Him as our Lord, 50:57 He is cleansing our path. 50:58 But if we sin, He doesn't hesitate 51:01 to apply the blood, right. 51:03 It's not like He sins and He is like okay, 51:06 is He gonna repent? 51:07 This isn't the picture of, Jesus, that's going on. 51:09 He is our advocate, 51:10 the moment you sin the blood is being applied, 51:14 He is covering your sin 51:16 because of the relationship that He has with you. 51:18 It's not like "oops, you're exposed, 51:20 oops, you're not, oops, you're exposed." 51:23 Those that have that idea 51:25 about their relationship with the Christ, 51:26 there is no stability, 51:28 I can see why they are so concerned 51:30 about whether or not they are saved, 51:32 or they are lost where even, 51:33 Sister White, in one of the quotes 51:35 she says very clearly. 51:37 It's not the occasional deeds and misdeeds, 51:39 it's the trend of the life of making, 51:42 Jesus, your Lord and trusting that 51:44 He has saved you in the process. 51:47 To do otherwise would make serving, Christ, 51:49 a depressing exercise almost infidelity, 51:54 because Paul says that which I want to do 51:57 I don't do that which I had no, 51:59 I have no business doing that's what I am doing. 52:02 How do I get out from under that? 52:04 How do I seize that round of sinning and repenting, 52:06 sinning and repenting? 52:07 How do I get out of that depressing state 52:10 into a victorious life with Christ? 52:12 Well, you've got to relationship, 52:14 you've got faith 52:15 and if there is an occasional mistake made, 52:18 you repent, you confess, 52:20 you are forgiven, and you move on. 52:23 Your relationship with Christ has not been destroyed, 52:26 it hasn't been altered, 52:27 the relationship is still there. 52:29 You made a mistake, 52:30 and of course the more Christ works in you 52:33 and with you and through you, 52:35 those stumbling blocks become stepping stones, 52:37 so you actually do make less mistakes, 52:40 so the next time that somebody does something, 52:43 you handle it because Christ is in, 52:45 its like a good friend of mine 52:46 brought a brand new Oldsmobile, 52:47 pastor, president of a conference. 52:50 Took it upstairs for about one week 52:52 and came down and all four doors were gone. 52:55 Somebody needed four doors, they took it. 52:58 He didn't have 2,000 miles on a car, 53:00 he went upstairs and he played the piano, 53:01 he just played "Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me" 53:03 for about two hours, prayed and he came on to work, 53:07 in a rental car while they were fixing his car. 53:09 Now he said years ago I'd have blown my stick, 53:11 I'd have just gone ballistic, 53:13 but I have grown in, Christ Jesus, 53:16 and that's part of the relation, 53:17 you grow in Christ. 53:18 So the things you used to do, 53:20 you don't do them anymore because you grow. 53:22 The littlest things, you can even sense 53:25 the Lord convicted to me just on a similar thing 53:27 the other day is that I was trying to pop a soda can off, 53:31 I mean to, to open it and that the tab broke 53:35 so I was struggling to push my finger 53:36 and I thought you know, what 53:37 I'm gonna rip up my thumb if I do that. 53:39 So then I grabbed a spoon and push it to boom, 53:42 I mean everywhere. I was in a hurry. 53:47 A while ago, I would have gone, 53:48 oh and gotten so upset and I said grab the thing 53:51 and just towel and I cleaned it up. Yeah, yeah. 53:54 And the Lord convicted me right there, 53:55 see you are coming along. 53:58 And I praised him for that, 54:00 you know, that Lord you're changing me 54:01 and so the little things He does work on. 54:04 We got to mention this, this doctrine of one saved 54:06 always saved has taken people out of any kind of 54:10 accountability level with making Jesus their Lord. 54:15 The God saved part is done, the savior part is done, 54:17 but the lordship, the life being changed by God, 54:20 you know, it doesn't matter what I do, 54:22 He has already saved me, that is the tool of the enemy 54:25 and he has used it very, very well to get people secured 54:28 when they really according to this scripture we just read, 54:31 they should not be so secured. 54:33 Yeah, yeah, you know, I use to host a talk show 54:36 on another network and one of the things 54:37 I ran up against continuing where people saying that 54:40 I don't have to change my lifestyle, 54:43 I am saved and I don't have 54:46 to give fruit of my salvation, 54:47 I don't have any evidence of my salvation, I am saved. 54:50 I was saved in 1909, it's 2010, I am still saved. 54:57 Well, have you changed your life? No. 54:58 Have you done any? No. Are you walking? 55:00 No, but I was saved, I gave mine to Lord 55:03 and that's it, it's on autopilot as it were. 55:05 And I don't have to give any fruit for my repentance 55:07 and it's the trick of the devil, 55:10 to think you can live any kind of way 55:12 and still be saved. Right. 55:13 It's not, it's not so, 55:15 so that's not what we are saying. 55:17 And so there are some of the other verses here 55:19 that repeat this Lord, Lord, from the verse we just read, 55:22 Matthew 25:11 and 12, 55:25 talking about the ten virgins, 55:26 the ones that did not make it into the wedding 55:30 " those virgins came also it says, 55:32 saying Lord, Lord open to us." 55:36 Here is another one Luke 6:46. 55:38 Why do you call me, Jesus says Lord, Lord, 55:40 and do not do the things that I say? Yes. 55:43 So clearly there is a professing, 55:46 but not the follow up with a change of the life 55:50 or making, Jesus, Lord of their life. 55:53 Yeah, that's a critical ploy dare I say of the enemy 55:57 to make you think that you can just call the name 56:00 and not walk to walk, and talk to talk 56:03 and not live the life. 56:04 Satan have us to think that just call a name 56:07 and you were in and you are fine, but it's not so. 56:09 Right, you know, kind of a last thought here is, 56:12 we are beginning to close this, 56:13 you know Christ lordship 56:15 is about Christ authority in our life, 56:16 giving him the bus driving responsibility 56:20 and He knows we sat here or letting Him just drive if, 56:22 you know, take the wheel with giving Him the authority 56:26 only then do we receive power. 56:28 The power comes with authority 56:30 and if I am not giving Him the authority, 56:32 I am not getting any power. 56:34 And that's the challenge for the Christian life, 56:36 why so many people I think are without power to have it 56:38 relinquish the power to Christ. 56:40 Yes, yes, that's very, very powerful, 56:42 wish we had few minutes 56:43 and we don't to talk about that aspect of it, 56:45 because there are times when you can stop doing sin, 56:48 just because you will it. 56:49 There are other days when your will is nothing 56:51 and you need, Christ, all the time. 56:53 Yeah, yeah, you are gonna be victorious. 56:55 Making Him Lord of your life means 56:57 that you are saying I know I don't 56:58 I'm tired of doing this on my own. 57:00 Lord, I want you to take the wheel. 57:02 I want You to do this in my life. 57:04 I want You to make the changes 57:05 and I want You to provide me with the power 57:07 and strength to these things, so that as Paul, says 57:10 its Christ living in me not me living my own life 57:13 by my own will power. Yes, yes, very true. 57:15 I just pray that will be your experience today 57:18 as you are saved by the life of Christ 57:21 and also you make Him Lord of your life. 57:24 Why don't you ask Him to come into your life again today. |
Revised 2014-12-17