Participants: John Lomacang (Host), John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL150009A
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00:01 Hello, friends, grab your Bible and a friend
00:02 and sit back as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of House Calls. 00:26 Hello, friends. 00:27 Welcome to House Calls where we open the word of God 00:30 and walk through it together, and there is no wonder much, 00:34 there is no more wonderful journey I should say 00:37 than enjoying this time with my good friend, 00:39 John Stanton. 00:40 How you doing, pastor? It's good to be here, pastor. 00:43 Yeah, I tell you, we both share more than one thing 00:45 the name and the position. 00:47 There we go. 00:49 And we're thankful that you've chosen to tune into a program 00:51 that's dynamic in nature, exciting for us 00:55 and from the Word of God every time you tune in. 01:00 And so, invite your family and friends 01:02 to sit down with you and walk through us 01:04 on this excursion through the Word of God. 01:07 John, I think today 01:08 we're gonna be winding up on the topic of-- 01:11 Repentance. Why is that important? 01:13 It's your basic practice of Christianity. 01:17 It's that heart that opens up toward God 01:20 and really seeks to be reconciled and united with Him, 01:23 and this is where it starts, repentance. 01:25 - Okay. - So. 01:26 So we're gonna kind of try to cap that off today. 01:29 And so, then we're gonna began a new topic about baptism. 01:34 You know, it seems like a natural segue 01:36 to go from repentance to baptism. 01:39 Baptism is something 01:40 that the Lord has made so imperative, 01:43 He who believes and is baptized will be saved 01:47 and, but he who does not believe is condemned. 01:49 So how could something so widely important as baptism 01:55 be overlooked? 01:56 So we believe the two are hand in glove, 01:58 repentance, baptism. 02:00 You know, this conversion, forgiveness 02:02 and there are so many other things 02:03 that are connected to that. 02:05 But we're gonna talk about baptism also, 02:06 and, if we don't get to it today, 02:08 we'll do it in our next program. 02:11 But before we go to your emails and your questions 02:14 and comments which we'll talk about in just a moment. 02:16 John, could you began with prayer for us? 02:17 Let's do that. 02:19 Dear Father in heaven, 02:20 we give ourselves to You here this morning 02:23 as we know that You're the author of this book 02:26 that we're opening up. 02:27 And only you can truly reveal what is in its pages, 02:31 and so we pray that You'd speak to our hearts, 02:33 just the lives, in the minds 02:35 of those that are watching this program as well 02:37 in Jesus' name, amen. 02:38 Amen. 02:40 Now you send questions and comments 02:42 and we have some here today, we have some questions. 02:45 And if you want to send any of those, 02:47 send those to the following email address, 02:49 housecalls@3abn.org. 02:52 That's housecalls@3abn.org. 02:55 And that's where-- 02:56 actually John does most of the downloading, 02:58 I appreciate that very much. 02:59 And sometimes I get the snail mail 03:01 but I don't have any snail mail today. 03:03 However your questions and your comments 03:05 are vitally important. 03:06 And, John, why don't you let us know 03:08 what our first question would be today? 03:10 Yeah, a great question that we can go 03:11 in a number of directions on, 03:13 but I've been kind of contemplating 03:14 and chewing on how to answer this, 03:15 but the question is fairly simple, 03:18 straightforward one sentence 03:19 "Where is the throne of God in the holy 03:22 or in the most holy of the heavenly sanctuary?" 03:26 All right. 03:27 Now knowing that this language is very biblical, 03:32 and in many case theological. 03:36 We'll need to explain some of the terms 03:37 that are in here to be able to really answer this question. 03:40 But first of all, we're talking about 03:42 where the throne of God is 03:44 in relation to the heavenly sanctuary, 03:47 and so it would be good to maybe just touch on briefly, 03:49 John, where the heavenly or I shouldn't say 03:52 where the heavenly sanctuary is, 03:53 what the heavenly sanctuary is? 03:55 And so I'm gonna start with Hebrews 9. 03:58 Okay. 04:00 Hebrews 9 04:02 and I'm going to start with verse 1. 04:07 Hebrews 9:1 and that says, 04:11 "Then indeed even the first covenant 04:13 had ordinances of divine service 04:16 and the earthly sanctuary." 04:18 Okay, so this is a brief explanation here, 04:21 John, in relation to the covenants. 04:23 We heard old covenant and new covenant. 04:26 There are two aspects of these covenants, 04:29 two pictures. 04:31 In other words when you hear, when you're reading the Bible 04:34 and the author is describing the old and new covenant. 04:37 Here, he can be coming from two, one of two angles. 04:41 Number one, there is a historical perspective 04:43 of old and new covenants which is a history. 04:46 Many of us understand that 04:48 as Old Testament kind of stories 04:51 and things related to old covenant, 04:53 and new covenant being New Testament stuff. 04:55 And often what we find is that's not the common, 05:01 most common use of old and new covenant terms. 05:04 Although, within the evangelical world, 05:07 often this is the primary way 05:09 that they viewed old and new covenant. 05:11 Old covenant being Old Testament, 05:12 new covenant being New Testament, 05:14 but actually Paul the apostle, 05:15 especially doesn't write in that way. 05:17 In most every case, Paul is speaking 05:20 of the experiential covenant of old and new. 05:24 In other words, the old covenant 05:25 was this covenant of the people 05:27 where they said, we will follow God 05:29 and they tried with their own power, 05:30 with their own strength 05:32 to do what they could do to please God, 05:33 to appease God even, and it just didn't work. 05:37 And then the new covenant experience 05:39 is the one that we have with Christ 05:41 through His spirit indwelling in us, 05:42 His law written in us the way that we naturally respond 05:47 as we walk in the spirit day to day experiencing Christ 05:49 and the benefits of His sacrificial death 05:51 and His resurrection power. 05:53 That's the way that Paul often 05:56 and the other apostles right in the New Testament. 05:59 But there is a context here 06:01 and in this situation, Hebrews 9, 06:03 there is an historical old covenant context. 06:07 And so it says in verse 2 06:09 that "The tabernacle was prepared the first part 06:12 in which was the lamb stand, the table and the showbread, 06:14 which is called the sanctuary and behind the second veil 06:17 the part of the tabernacle 06:18 which is called the holiest of all 06:20 or the most holy." 06:21 So what you have here is this picture of the covenant 06:25 and it's a tabernacle that most of us are used to reading 06:27 about back in the Old Testament where, you know the Israelites 06:30 carried around this big tabernacle 06:33 and it had an outer courtyard with a tent around it 06:35 that was basically a fence 06:37 with a gate coming through that. 06:38 You have the bronze altar burn offering, 06:41 you have the laver in the courtyard, 06:43 then you move into the actual tabernacle piece 06:46 which involved the holy 06:47 and the most holy separated by this veil. 06:50 And so that's what's been described here. 06:51 Now what most people don't realize 06:53 is that this tabernacle carried around with Israelites 06:57 was not the original, okay. 06:59 The original tabernacle is in heaven. 07:03 Right. Now how do we know that? 07:06 Well, two reasons. 07:07 Number one, when Moses met with God on the mountain, 07:11 God said, I want you to make me a place to dwell with you 07:14 according to the pattern. 07:16 So in other words, what Moses was making 07:19 with the children of Israel put together 07:21 was a copy of the true tabernacle 07:23 which is in heaven. 07:25 And so the writer of Hebrews also brings this point out 07:30 and it says there in-- 07:34 Let's see Chapter 9:11 where it says, 07:39 "Christ came as high priest of the good things to come 07:42 with a greater and more perfect tabernacle, 07:45 and then does it say, not made with hands, 07:47 that is not of this creation." 07:50 So there is a tabernacle that Christ is a high priest of 07:54 that is not the tabernacle 07:57 that was first in the wilderness 07:59 and then of course build into a temple in Jerusalem. 08:02 This is a perfect tabernacle not made of earthly resources. 08:06 And then of course, it talks about, 08:08 it goes on to speak of Christ ministering with His own blood, 08:10 not the blood of bulls and goats, 08:12 but with His own blood He came into the heavenly sanctuary 08:14 upon His ascension after His resurrection, 08:17 and He's been ministering there in our behalf. 08:19 Okay, so that's the background context 08:22 to the heavenly sanctuary. 08:24 And this is where, if you want to know 08:26 where Jesus is now, read the Book of Hebrews, 08:28 that's a best place you can go to. 08:30 What is Jesus doing now? Where is He now? 08:33 And you'll find that He's our high priest 08:34 in the heavenly sanctuary 08:36 administering His blood in our behalf 08:38 and preparing to come back and take His people home. 08:42 Matter of fact, could I-- 08:43 Go ahead and interject, yes. 08:45 Matter of fact in Hebrews 8, if you look at verse 5 08:48 speaking about the sanctuary and its services. 08:52 It says in verse 5, "Who serve the copy 08:55 and shadow of the heavenly things, 08:59 as Moses was divinely instructed 09:02 when he was about to make the tabernacle, 09:04 for he said see that you make all things 09:07 according to the pattern shown you on mountain." 09:10 So, but now, he obtained a more excellent ministry in 09:14 as much as he is also mediator of a better covenant 09:18 which is established on better promises. 09:22 So you find this pattern 09:25 that Moses made the earthly tabernacle of, 09:29 after it was the pattern shown him in the mountain 09:32 and the Lord gave him a glimpse of these services where he is. 09:35 And when you read the Bible, you begin to see 09:39 that as David the psalmist points out, 09:41 and let me give you example Psalm 47:8, 09:44 he says "God reigns over the nations, 09:48 God sits on his holy throne." 09:52 And so when the Bible speaks about, 09:54 you have the tabernacle where the pattern was shown 09:58 representing the ministry of God, 10:00 but then I don't know if the question had the throne? 10:02 We're gonna go to Daniel 7 now. 10:05 So it's gonna talk about the throne room 10:06 and associate that with the sanctuary. 10:09 But I did want to establish this 10:11 because some people when they hear these terms 10:12 and understand it. 10:14 And one of the words you brought up here 10:15 from verse 5 there in Hebrews 8 is the shadow. 10:18 And I know we've had questions before 10:19 on Colossians 2 10:21 which has the Sabbath is which is a shadow 10:23 and is talking about the shadow of things to come. 10:25 That's all in relation to Old Testament language 10:29 and the old tabernacle that was in the wilderness 10:32 And the services, the services surrounding that. 10:34 And the services were the shadows. 10:36 These ceremonial Sabbaths 10:37 that happened like on the first day, 10:39 the 8th day, the 11th day, the 10th day, 10:41 the 7th month, 5th day or the 5th month, 10:44 these were shadow Sabbaths but they had no association 10:46 with the Sabbath established in Genesis. 10:50 That was not a shadow, that was a memorial. 10:54 There's a difference between a memorial and a shadow. 10:57 The memorial of creation, 10:58 the memorial of God's creative ability, 11:01 that's what the original Sabbath is. 11:03 And then secondly, the Sabbath is a sanctifying sign 11:05 between those who honored and the one who it honors. 11:09 See, like an anniversary or birthday, you say, 11:11 well, come, my birthday July 30th. 11:13 When all these people show up on July 30th, 11:16 these people have come to acknowledge my birthday 11:19 to celebrate it with me. 11:20 So when we celebrate the Sabbath, 11:22 we're acknowledging to whom it belongs, 11:24 it's the Sabbath of the Lord. 11:26 But it's not a shadow. 11:27 These ceremonial services as you point out, 11:29 they were all the shadows, 11:31 because they were all part of the tabernacle 11:33 that was a shadow and a copy. 11:35 And I think the point being them 11:36 is if you don't understand this old covenant kind of 11:40 in a historical sense and the tabernacle there 11:44 and what was represented, 11:45 and then what Jesus is doing under this new covenant 11:48 experience heavenly sanctuary language. 11:50 If you don't understand that, 11:51 you're gonna miss words like shadow, like copy, 11:54 and you're gonna start relating the word Sabbath 11:55 to every Sabbath 11:57 when it's specifically talking about one thing. 12:00 So anyway, let's answer now the questions 12:02 since we have the background by going to Daniel 7. 12:06 And what's interesting, John, in Daniel 7 12:09 is that you have this history of the world 12:13 and arise and fall of kingdoms. 12:16 And it takes you down, 12:18 prophetically it takes you down to the very end 12:20 which was referred to the time of the end. 12:23 So first beast comes up, second beast then comes up, 12:27 third beast then comes up, fourth beast then comes up, 12:29 so you have this rise and fall of kingdoms, 12:31 and we know those of course to be Babylonian, 12:36 Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. 12:39 And then in the middle of, after the fourth kingdom 12:41 is dreadful terrible beast comes up, 12:43 you have this picture, 12:45 and this pattern is repeated over and over again. 12:48 It's repeated in Daniel 2. 12:50 It's repeated again in Daniel 7-9. 12:55 It's repeated again even to degree in Daniel 11, 12:59 so you have this repeated of, you know, 13:01 kingdoms rising and falling, and all of a sudden 13:03 this picture of an event taking place in heaven. 13:07 And that's what we're gonna read about starting in verse, 13:10 Chapter 7 verse 9. 13:13 So after verses 1-8 of the rise and fall of kingdoms, 13:17 these beast powers you have these words, 13:20 "I watch till the thrones were put in place 13:22 and the ancient of days was seated. 13:24 His garment was as white as snow 13:26 and the hair of his head was like pure wool. 13:29 His throne, 13:31 it was a fiery flame its wheels are burning fire 13:34 a fiery stream issued him and came forth from him 13:36 a thousand thousands ministered to Him, 13:38 ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. 13:41 The court was seated, and the books were opened." 13:44 So you have before the throne of God 13:46 this judgment scene. 13:48 Right. 13:49 Now the placement of this contextually in this passage, 13:54 the judgment is occurring before the second coming. 13:56 Right. 13:57 Okay, so when we're talking about, the question is, 13:59 where is the throne of God 14:01 in the holy, the most holy place? 14:02 When we're talking about this, 14:03 we need to be thinking in terms of throne room 14:06 and judgment according to here, 14:08 and the fact that God is doing something there, 14:11 that's why His throne is in one of these places. 14:15 We haven't answered that yet holy or most holy. 14:18 But then he says, I watched in verse 11, 14:20 "I watched then 14:21 because of the sound of the pompous words 14:22 which the horn was speaking." 14:24 This is the horn that comes up out of the fourth beast, 14:26 and it says verse 12, "And the rest of the beasts, 14:29 their dominion taken away, 14:31 yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time, 14:34 prolonged for a season and a time." 14:36 And then verse 13, "I was watching--" 14:37 Again back to this vision in the heavens 14:40 "I was watching in the night visions 14:42 and behold One like the Son of Man." 14:44 Who's that? 14:45 Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven, 14:48 He came to the Ancient of Days his father 14:50 and they brought Him near before Him, 14:52 then was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, 14:55 That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. 14:59 And that kingdom it says will not pass away 15:01 and will not be destroyed, 15:03 so this picture here clearly is Jesus doing a work, 15:07 He's coming up. 15:08 And in this court, Jesus coming before His Father 15:11 and being given this authority 15:15 as ruler over the kings of this world. 15:18 Now, some of the things that we haven't put together yet 15:21 is the fact that this is taking place 15:24 in not only the throne name of God, 15:25 but we find elsewhere in scripture 15:27 that throne room resides in the heavenly sanctuary. 15:31 Right, exactly. 15:33 I mean there's no other place it can be. 15:35 And so, when the father is seated on the throne, 15:38 we see that He is in the holy place 15:41 and then as Jesus comes 15:44 to take His dominion and His power, 15:46 we know this is the end of the world now. 15:47 He must have moved to a second phase 15:49 which is the most holy place. 15:52 Okay, now I wish we had time to cover this topic 15:55 because this is an entire program 15:56 two or three, right, John? 15:58 But we don't. 15:59 At least, about at least two or three. 16:00 Yes, but suffice it to say this that as we've moved now 16:05 into the final days of earth's history, 16:08 if its last judgment has began 16:10 that the throne room has been moved, 16:12 at least it has transitioned to the most holy place, 16:15 and we know this for one significant reason 16:17 and that is the Day of Atonement. 16:21 At the end of the year of the ceremonial services 16:24 of the Israelites back then, 16:25 what we find is this last kind of feast 16:28 that occurs called the Day of Atonement, 16:30 which is the day that the Israelites understood 16:33 was a day of judgment. 16:34 Right. 16:36 And it says that God, God says on this feast day, 16:38 you are to afflict your souls, 16:40 you've to search your hearts 16:41 to see if there is something between you and God 16:43 that can be put away that needs to be repented off 16:47 and put away, so that when the world 16:50 finally concludes that it can be wrapped up. 16:53 Now, when I say the word concludes, 16:54 what you have in this, 16:56 the annual services of the tabernacle 16:59 and the ceremonies, 17:00 you have a miniature picture 17:02 of the entire plan of salvation. 17:03 That's true, you do. 17:05 So it begins way back when sin began 17:09 and it ends at the end of the world, 17:11 and so we're seeing a little bit of a picture of-- 17:12 I wish I had time to put more pieces together here 17:15 but being that we're in this period of the end times 17:18 which prophecy takes us to, 17:20 we can honestly say that the throne room right now 17:23 must be in the most holy place. 17:26 And that's clear, you have the temple services. 17:32 You also have the picture of service 17:37 that continues to transpire in front of the throne of God, 17:44 and I'll give you couple of examples 17:46 here in Revelation 7 speaking about it says, 17:49 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, 17:52 speaking of the 144,000, 17:54 and they serve him day and night in his temple, 17:59 so throne temple, 18:01 and He who sits on the throne will dwell among them." 18:04 And then you find in Revelation 12 18:06 where it spoke about when Jesus ascended to heaven, 18:11 where did He go? 18:12 Says, "She bore a male child speaking of the woman 18:15 of Revelation 12 who was to rule all nations 18:19 with the rod of iron 18:20 and her child was caught up to God 18:23 and his throne." 18:26 See, so we find that if Moses is given the instructions 18:29 to make a throne, 18:30 who was he getting a pattern from God and His throne. 18:36 See where is, so he is not coming up with summarizing. 18:39 You know, just recently my wife and I were reading about this, 18:42 and when the work had been done, 18:43 when they finally finished the work. 18:46 This is down in the closing chapter 18:48 of Exodus, 18:49 when they finally finished the building of the temple. 18:53 Bible says the people were solemn to the point 18:56 where they wept 18:57 and a cloud descended over the tabernacle, 19:01 and they had to remain away from it 19:03 as long as the cloud was there, and what that was, 19:06 that represented the presence of God 19:08 and His temple. 19:10 In the tabernacle, so of speak, 19:13 examining all the work that the people of God had done. 19:17 And I found a parallel to that, John, because it says, 19:20 and when they had finished the work as God had commanded, 19:24 he descended in the cloud. 19:26 Think about that, that's the same language 19:28 for the end time. 19:30 When they had finished the work, 19:31 when this gospel has been preached, 19:33 then the end will come and Jesus descends in a cloud. 19:37 So it's amazing how Exodus ends 19:39 with when they had finished the work as God had commanded, 19:42 then the Lord descended in a cloud. 19:44 Yeah, and the amazing thing too here 19:46 is 'cause we're talking about that sanctuary, 19:48 the picture of the copy that was created down. 19:50 Here was a picture of the entire plan of salvation 19:52 over the history of the world, that you have the end there, 19:56 but you also have kind of a beginning or starting point. 19:58 Everything points to the lamb of God, 20:01 that takes away the sin of the world. 20:02 Why did John say those words upon seeing Jesus? 20:05 That's because He represented the lamb 20:08 that was sacrificed on that altar burn offering 20:11 in the outer courtyard. 20:13 And then whose blood was brought where? 20:16 Into the tabernacle. 20:18 So the transition then goes that when Christ was crucified 20:22 that as He entered into the heavens, 20:24 He entered into the throne room which is the holy place. 20:28 And he administers as Hebrews tell us, 20:30 this is way you got read the Book of Hebrews 20:32 by His own blood. 20:33 He came into the heavenly tabernacle 20:35 and that is where he ministers in our behalf. 20:38 And so, this language is throughout 20:40 from beginning to end in scriptures 20:43 in regard to the temple of God, tabernacle as a copy, 20:47 and how that was showing us what Jesus would do 20:50 through His ministry for the salvation of mankind. 20:52 That's right. That's right. 20:54 Thank you, John, that was very well put together 20:57 and a short one here. 21:00 Thank you Carlos, I'm not gonna give your last name, 21:03 but he says, I love the Lord. 21:06 He began by saying, I love the Lord. 21:08 I do have such a hard time reconciling the angry God 21:13 of the Old Testament 21:15 to a loving God of the New Testament. 21:19 It is hard to explain God's nature to someone 21:22 when you say God loves them, 21:25 and they say God killed even babies in raged war. 21:29 Comparing God to a man, bad person of today, 21:33 I know there is a way to show that God, 21:36 that God had nature and that God the Father, 21:39 the Son and the Holy Spirit are good, loving 21:42 and the same yesterday, today and always. 21:45 I just don't know how? 21:47 While we're on the subject, can you show each of the, 21:51 each of the three in the Old Testament 21:54 all those are two, two-- 21:56 First of all, let's talk with the nature 21:59 of reconciling the bad God with the good God. 22:05 So to speak. Yeah. So to speak. 22:09 First of all when you, when you look at the Bible. 22:11 Let me start with the Book of Numbers. 22:14 Let's go to the Book of Numbers, 22:15 Numbers 14. 22:17 Let's look there. 22:22 When you look at Numbers 14:18 speaking about the Lord, 22:26 and one of the hard things that people had 22:28 and I'll share something after I read this. 22:30 goes as follows, 22:32 "The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, 22:36 forgiving iniquity and transgression, 22:40 but He by no means clears the guilty, 22:43 visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children" 22:46 of the third and the fourth generations. 22:48 Now the reasons I choose this is because he says, 22:50 well, we know, how does God? 22:52 God it seems is killing babies in raging war. 22:56 One of the things that we often leave out of the picture, 23:01 and let me use, I go back to this example 23:02 of mad cow disease. 23:04 Mad cow disease was something 23:06 that racked different portions of the world, 23:09 but when it started to be an impact in America, 23:12 people had a hard time with that, 23:13 and I saw the pictures, you know, 23:15 there were pictures taken of farmers, 23:17 there were video taken of farmers. 23:19 And when they noticed symptoms in their cows, 23:22 and in their goat, and in their sheep 23:24 beginning to develop 23:26 because this was such an infectious diseases. 23:29 They said, they showed places 23:31 where farmers shot their livestock, 23:34 and then they scoop them up and put them in piles 23:37 and just burned them, and you thought, 23:41 how horrible, sheep, goat, um-- 23:46 cows. 23:49 And the farmer said, we didn't do this, 23:53 we lost thousand of dollars in this very act. 23:57 But we only did this 23:58 because we did not want this disease to spread. 24:03 And they talked about, then along with that, 24:07 you had hoof-and-mouth disease, 24:09 was another one that was closely associated 24:12 and the same, the same decision were made 24:14 by poultry and cattle farmers 24:17 to make sure that this doesn't get beyond 24:19 and start affecting not only animals 24:20 but people in general. 24:22 And so what people don't understand 24:24 is God is even deeper than that. 24:27 He sees, 24:29 he sees the scourge of its results on the fathers, 24:34 then on the children, then their children, 24:37 then their children 24:39 and he ceases unbroken cord of people 24:43 who choose not to acknowledge the true God 24:46 but if left on checked, 24:49 they would destroy everything that's good. 24:52 And we find the same symbolism in 2 Timothy 3, 24:55 the Bible says speaking about the last days, 24:57 there be heady, high-minded lovers of pleasure 25:02 more than lovers of God, having a form of God. 25:05 There will be also despisers of those that are good. 25:08 Traders, heady high-minded, so you find this, 25:12 God sees the development of the character 25:14 long before we even know that it exists. 25:17 God see the approaching forest fire 25:19 long before we even know, and speaking of that, 25:22 sometime the forest services have chosen to torch 25:26 and burn perfectly good ground to spear the rest of the forest 25:32 from this approaching devastating fire that's coming. 25:34 So when think about God, you know, killing babies, 25:37 I want you to understand that the God of the Old Testament 25:40 is a same God as the God of the New Testament 25:42 because, if you think the God of Old Testament 25:45 is shown in the acts that he perpetrates there. 25:48 What do you find in the seven last plagues? 25:50 The worst scourge that will ever hit humanity. 25:54 It's in Revelation and the New Testament, 25:56 so there's no difference in God, the God of the old 25:59 and the God of the new, 26:01 it's just that the sovereignty of God. 26:03 Let me, let me go ahead and down, 26:05 go down to the whole thing of war now 26:06 because you mentioned that too. 26:08 When the Lord called the children of Israel 26:11 to go war against the other nations. 26:13 The Lord had a plan, He had the Amalekites, 26:15 the Jebusites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, 26:19 the list goes on and the Canaanites, 26:20 all these ites. 26:22 They were nations 26:23 that were totally dedicated to false gods, 26:27 false worship, corruption, you name it, 26:30 the degradation of sin. 26:32 And their number one aim 26:33 was to stamp out the progress of the children of Israel. 26:36 What was the purpose of the children of Israel? 26:38 They had a gospel message to carry to a dying world. 26:41 What was the purpose of that? 26:43 So that this world could receive the message 26:44 and be saved. 26:45 So the Lord is seeing that these, 26:47 all these nations were going to if unchecked, 26:51 extinguish the nation of Israel. 26:54 He said when you, 26:56 when you go up against them in a war, 26:59 wipeout everybody. 27:00 Don't allow their generations 27:02 because if they're not dealt with signally 27:05 as I use the word, then the very anger and hate. 27:09 And we see that very same thing played out today 27:11 in our normal society. 27:13 I've heard people, I've heard Christians say, 27:16 "Why don't America just go over there 27:18 to the Middle East and find out 27:20 where the strongholds of ISIS is, 27:22 and just wipe them all out" 27:24 because we know that none of them 27:26 has anything good connected with their regime. 27:29 And we say, well, what about the young kids 27:31 that joined ISIS, them to. 27:33 What about the families who are teaching their children 27:35 that ISIS is the way of life, them to. 27:38 Well, hey wait a minute, wait a minute, 27:40 but these are Christians saying this. 27:42 Why we would even say that? 27:44 Because we know that this scourge 27:46 that ISIS has embraced is to kill, 27:50 destroy, steal, pillage, murder, 27:53 behead, you know, they've taken monuments down 27:56 and people down, it doesn't matter 27:58 whether the people are Islamic or American, 28:00 they're just killing. 28:01 And they past down generational-- 28:04 Yes. 28:05 I mean, we just get over those things 28:07 to the third and fourth generation, 28:08 we're thinking now, well, the sins are visited 28:10 upon the fathers and their children. 28:12 We hear, we read those, 28:13 and we don't understand the full implication of that, 28:15 and that is that the seed of hatred 28:18 and even the gene modification 28:20 that is transferred into the children 28:22 to make give them a propensity to be angry 28:24 and all those things that's innately in children as well, 28:28 and so God knew what he was doing, 28:30 what he was done only eradicating the adults 28:33 who were in an age of accountability 28:35 but children who maybe we consider not yet there 28:38 because of the fact that the seed was of hatred 28:42 and those things was still there. 28:44 But when you want to wipeout a disease, 28:45 you will find that as they sort to wipeout polio 28:49 and something like measles and some of these other things, 28:52 they knew that they could not leave even a trace. 28:56 That's right, not even a trace. 28:57 If you left a trace of any of these things, 29:00 it would come back in full force. 29:02 And we have the same thing with Ebola. 29:03 You know, you mentioned, 29:05 my wife and I were on Africa few years ago, 29:07 and when we got back, 29:09 the first question we were asked at the airport, 29:11 "Where were you? What part?" 29:13 And so we said, "We were 3,000 miles away 29:16 from this Ebola scourge, okay. 29:19 So, and somebody that was just working with my wife, 29:24 she was working at a facility and they said, well, 29:27 because you work where his wife works, 29:29 we can't let you in this building 29:31 for the next 21 days. 29:33 See how concerned they were that even any association 29:37 with something that could destroy us all, 29:39 we got to find a way to get rid of it. 29:41 In the sovereignty of God, He saw sin in its-- 29:44 And I'm gonna use the word that's not normally used, 29:46 in its ignominious nature. 29:50 And the evidence of that in the Bible 29:52 and here let me show you one as I wind up here. 29:55 And now there's many more text, 29:57 but the ignominious aspect 30:00 that I'm speaking about here is, 30:01 God allow the antediluvian world 30:04 to develop its sin nature to the fullest, 30:07 that's why he came to the point where he had to destroy them. 30:10 Because when you not only participates in a sin 30:13 but you become completely identified with it, 30:16 and the Lord is really wiping out the sin, 30:19 then he has to wipe out the person 30:20 who also embraces that particular. 30:22 And I think He also had to put through Israel 30:26 and His people, He put greater restrictions 30:28 on the growth of sin, and that's why war, 30:31 you find war and things happening, 30:32 you won't read much about war before the antediluvian flood. 30:36 Right. 30:37 But that is kind of become part of it and God-- 30:40 it's not that God makes wants war to happen 30:43 but He in those cases use His people 30:45 to make sure the sin did not grow 30:47 as fast as it had grown during the antediluvian period. 30:49 And you know what, one last thing. 30:51 The very thing that God did to the antediluvian world, 30:54 you know, the flood wipe them all out 30:57 is the same reason why He dealt with the children of Israel 30:59 at the base of Mount Sinai when they rebelled. 31:02 He said who is in on Lord side and they came to the Lord side, 31:06 who is in the, and the Levite stood with Moses, 31:09 those who had repented stood with Moses 31:13 and those who choose not to repent 31:15 stood on the other side, 31:16 and Moses gave the command destroy everyone of them, 31:19 mother, father, children, all, 31:21 don't allow this scourge to continue. 31:24 The reason why the Lord dealt with that 31:25 even among His own people is because He knew unchecked, 31:30 any thorn unchecked, 31:33 you notice how thorns don't grow up. 31:35 You don't, you don't have to plant thorns, 31:37 they are there. 31:39 They will choke the life out of a plant 31:41 if you don't check them. 31:42 So God saw this thorn of sin, 31:44 and so when you try to reconcile it, 31:46 here's what you need to do. 31:47 Last one, Jeremiah 31:3. 31:52 "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, 31:55 Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: 31:58 therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." 32:01 And the most famous verse in the Bible, 32:03 "For God so loved the world, 32:04 that He gave His only begotten Son, 32:06 that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish." 32:08 So God is not the one 32:10 that's looking for reasons to kill people. 32:12 He don't want any one to perish, 32:13 that's why He allowed even His son to be killed 32:18 that we might have eternal life. 32:21 Sovereign God, loving God. God is love 1 John 4:8. 32:25 That's right. 32:26 All right, John, transition us to our study for today. 32:29 Well, our study for today is on repentance, 32:31 and I think that we have covered five of seven 32:36 of the different aspects of repentance. 32:39 Some of these can be seen clearly in order, 32:42 others may be not so exactly in order, 32:44 it's really an intention just to say 32:45 that these various aspects 32:47 are part of the repentance process 32:49 that we go through and these are, 32:51 so far we've covered examination-- 32:53 Okay. 32:55 Condemnation, contrition, confession, and submission. 33:00 All right. Okay. 33:01 So examining oneself, 33:03 knowing oneself that's within you. 33:05 Condemnation, allowing you, ourselves 33:08 to receive that condemnation that comes with sin 33:11 because when we know we're condemned, 33:12 that turns our hearts back to trusting in God who is God, 33:15 and Jesus who has taken that condemnation for us. 33:17 Contrition is sorrow for the sin. 33:21 And confession is actually giving it up 33:23 even with specifics. 33:25 Here is the sin I committed Lord, I confess it. 33:27 The act of doing that places it upon Christ, 33:30 who suffered for this on the cross. 33:32 That's right. 33:33 And then submission, 33:34 we talked about how submitting to God's will, 33:37 and the God's plan for us 33:38 is incredibly important aspect of repentance 33:43 because if you don't have a desire to change, 33:46 if there's no submitting to God in His will, 33:48 repentance doesn't take route either. 33:50 Okay, so now we are at the sixth one, 33:53 the last two, six and seven. 33:56 And number six is reorganization. 33:59 Sometimes, you know, I've used the word reformation. 34:01 Right. 34:03 But sometimes it has some negative connotation. 34:06 So I'll use the word reorganization-- 34:08 More than negative it has, it has been so used, 34:13 it's like a people-- 34:14 Reform. Yeah, reform. 34:16 Yeah, those people with the garlic breath 34:18 and the long dungaree-- 34:20 they, they tend to have a negative picture 34:22 of what reformation is, reform to move in, 34:25 the reform Adventist, the reformed that, 34:27 the reformed, you know, they think, 34:28 oh, yeah, those were, really, really, really sour people. 34:33 So that's why I see what you're saying, 34:34 it does have a, 34:35 it tends to have a negative connotation 34:37 because of how it's been abused, but reformation-- 34:40 It's a good word-- 34:41 It's a good word because the Protestant Reformation, 34:43 the most positive thing that ever happen in Christianity. 34:46 That's right. That's right. 34:47 So reorganization is reordering one's life 34:51 depending upon God's grace, allowing Him to work in you 34:55 and making sure that the things that are in your life 34:57 are no longer causing or um-- 35:01 motivating you to sin. 35:03 And so the Bible speaks of these kinds of things, 35:05 this corporative work that we enter into with God 35:08 as He is transforming our lives. 35:11 And so we'll read several of these texts 35:12 and you'll see a little bit about what we mean 35:14 by reorganization. 35:17 James 122 says clearly, "Be doers of the word, 35:22 and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." 35:24 So, you know, to say, well, I've been saved by God's grace, 35:28 God does everything. 35:29 Isn't exactly the whole picture, is it, John? 35:32 There is, God does save us, 35:34 he does forgive us that all comes from him. 35:36 We're saved by nothing more than God's grace 35:41 but our response to that, 35:42 our entering into relationship with God 35:44 because we depend upon Him for that is what we do, 35:49 it's the doing part of the word of God, 35:51 and that's what we've been really talking 35:52 about examination, you know, 35:55 down through submitting the God's will, 35:56 all those things, that's, that's the doing of work. 35:59 And so when James says, "Be doers of the word, 36:02 not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." 36:04 It means don't just, you know, 36:05 listen to the word and say, well, that's great, 36:07 I've saved, wonderful. 36:09 And then your life doesn't change. 36:11 The greatest evidence 36:13 that repentance has taken root in a life of somebody 36:15 is a changed life. 36:18 I mean you and I as pastors had met with many individuals 36:21 who had different kinds of sin that they battle with, 36:25 and we know that repentance has taken root because of what? 36:31 They don't do it anymore. 36:32 Right. Okay, I got you. Okay. 36:34 So, you know, their life is changed 36:36 where they used to drink heavily 36:39 and party all the time 36:41 and they, oh, I took a drink last, you know, 36:42 they're battling with this. 36:44 Well, when repentance has occurred in these things 36:46 they're trusting God and deferring, 36:47 submitting all those things happen. 36:49 We find that they don't become alcoholic, 36:51 I mean, they may be an alcoholic, 36:53 but they don't drink anymore 36:54 because they are trusting in the power and grace of God. 36:56 And the grace of God is keeping them. 36:59 Number of passages that you put or you did, 37:02 you did James, Romans 12:1 and 2, 37:06 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, 37:08 by the mercies of God--" 37:11 That's appealing to God's provision 37:13 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. 37:17 And that's the submission part which we just covered, 37:20 and then what happens? 37:21 Holy acceptable to God 37:23 which is your reasonable service 37:26 and then verse 2, "And do not be conformed to this world, 37:29 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind 37:32 that you may prove what is that good, 37:34 and acceptable, and perfect will of God?" 37:36 I like the word reorganization is really nice-- 37:40 We do this almost inadvertently, 37:42 at least lot of people do that. 37:43 You know, we have spring cleaning, 37:45 we have holiday cleaning. 37:46 As we see the holidays coming up, 37:48 you say, oh, we got to get the house ready. 37:51 You know, when the weather is changing, 37:52 we got to weatherproof our cars, 37:54 you know change the antifreeze, 37:56 make sure that we have new oil and new filters, 37:58 and make sure our tires are good 37:59 because, you know, when the snow comes 38:01 or the ices comes, you want to be ready for it. 38:03 Reorganization is a very vital part 38:05 of anything that we do 38:07 in our restructuring aspects of our lives. 38:09 How is it that sometimes Christians, 38:11 and I like the way you put this. 38:13 You put this in a corporate word. 38:15 You're a corporate guy. 38:16 But reorganization is important 38:18 because if you don't plan to succeed, 38:21 if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 38:25 Okay, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 38:27 If you fail to plan for success, 38:29 you plan to fail in the area of success. 38:33 And so any, any goal without a plan 38:38 is gonna fail. 38:40 People without dates on the go. 38:41 They'll say by such and such a day, 38:43 the most things that people add dates to are losing weight. 38:47 By such and such date, I want to be five pounds down, 38:49 ten pounds down, fifteen pounds down. 38:51 I want my goal by summer next year, 38:53 and they set these goals 38:54 and they work on that diligently. 38:56 But if a person says, you know, 38:57 by December I want to have read my Bible 39:02 at least four times a week. 39:05 By January I want to be so locked 39:08 into a pattern of reading my Bible 39:10 that I cannot go without it daily. 39:13 We don't set those goals, 39:14 and we often don't experience the life, 39:19 the abundant life that Jesus came to give us 39:22 because we don't, we don't participate 39:24 in all the abundant supply. 39:27 See, if God will provide-- 39:31 If God will supply all of our need 39:33 according to His riches. 39:34 The question we often ask is what is our need? 39:37 Well, our greatest need is holiness. 39:39 But we keep thinking, He will supply all my needs, 39:42 we right away go to the Dollar. 39:45 My bills are covered. Come on, don't cheap in God. 39:48 He wants to supply your need, your spiritual need. 39:52 He wants to supply your relational need. 39:54 He wants to supply your Bible study need. 39:57 We got this Bible. 39:59 How many people think of the Bible 40:01 as God supplying all of our need? 40:05 Prayer, he wants to supply, he said talk to me, I'm here. 40:09 Hey, I'm supplying you with time to talk to me, 40:12 he supplied the time and so I say, 40:14 the Christian life is in these four areas, 40:16 time, talent, testimony, and treasure, the four T's. 40:22 He supplies you the time moment by moment. 40:24 He gives you the talent, 40:26 the testimony to share your faith 40:28 and the treasure that belongs to Him. 40:30 He gives you all that you need but so-- 40:33 Yeah, reorganization is very vitally important 40:35 for any success and it takes, did I finish the second verse? 40:39 Well, yes, you did. 40:41 But part and part of that 40:42 I think you're talking about I love it 40:43 when you brought in Bible study here 40:45 because to reorganize one's life 40:46 means you put things there in your life 40:48 that weren't there that are necessary 40:50 and replace the old bad things, 40:52 the sins that we focus on, you know, someone-- 40:54 It's really become important for me to understand 40:58 as I counsel and give people help with, you know, 41:00 how to overcome sins and things that, 41:03 that the more you focus on the sin 41:05 you're trying to overcome, 41:06 the more inclined you're to repeat it-- 41:08 That's like looking at a spot on the rug. 41:10 It's like, yeah, the spot can be tiny, 41:12 but it can be only thing you can see on that rug 41:15 once you lock in on it. 41:17 We need to focus on Jesus, 41:18 which means if you start reading His word 41:21 instead of watching the TV, something is gonna happen. 41:25 You're lying, your nature will be fed and the things, 41:29 the way that the devil gets to you will be cut off 41:32 and that allows repentance to have its full effect 41:35 in changing your life, 41:37 and that's what reorganizing one's life is all about. 41:40 Right, you know, they say, 41:42 you can't stop a bird from flying over your head 41:43 but you could prevent it from building a nest. 41:46 The people say, "Well, you know, 41:47 in the world there are so many influences round me. 41:49 Yeah, you can't stop the influences of the world, 41:52 but you can prevent the influences of the world 41:55 from impacting your life. 41:57 You know, don't stand so close to the curves, 41:58 so that the car will always splash water 42:00 when you pass by. 42:01 But the thing that it also includes here 42:03 and this is really important that we want to convey, 42:05 renewing your mind, people get-- 42:09 this why the next topic is so vitally important. 42:11 People often give their lives to the Lord 42:13 but their minds are never renewed. 42:15 They get baptized and they think the same way 42:18 because they've never put anything new in there now, 42:21 the renewing of your mind. 42:23 If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, 42:26 she is a new creation. 42:28 Old things have passed away. Ask yourself the question. 42:31 Have any old things passed away in your life 42:33 or are you just baptized with old things still there? 42:36 And that's why 42:37 this reorganization is so vitally important. 42:39 There're couple of other verses on this, 1 Timothy 6:11. 42:42 "But you, O man of God, 42:43 flee these things and pursue righteousness. 42:46 Flee the old things, run or pursue, 42:50 go after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, 42:53 patience and gentleness." 42:54 The pursing, the Spirit, 42:57 the fruit of the Spirit for your life." 42:59 Oh, here's another good one. 43:00 Go ahead, read that one from Psalms. 43:02 Psalm 101:3. 43:03 "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes." 43:08 That is the whole world. Yeah. 43:10 You know, once again I said, you can't stop them 43:13 from putting the billboards or the movie advertisements 43:16 or the corrupt shows on television, 43:18 but you can surely prevent yourself 43:20 from participating in it, 43:22 because what many people don't know is, 43:23 you may not be the one developing it 43:25 but your pleasure of it causes you to be a cold, 43:29 conspirator in the destruction of humanity. 43:31 And I love what he says, I will set. 43:32 Right. 43:34 In other words, David is recognizing, 43:35 he has a propensity to actually bring something 43:38 and put it in front of him himself. 43:40 So, it isn't always the case of the devil made me do it 43:43 or the devil put it before me. 43:44 Sometimes we tempt ourselves by going there 43:47 and so David's saying, I won't do that? 43:49 And you know why he said that because that's how he felt. 43:51 That's how he felt. 43:52 He didn't pay attention to what he did. 43:55 He didn't pay attention 43:56 to where he was focusing his eyes. 43:58 He didn't turn away. 43:59 He said, I ain't doing that again. 44:01 That was the statement of David, 44:03 I ain't doing that again. 44:04 And that's why he put that, 44:05 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. 44:07 And David, there was a woman bathing on a porch 44:11 right outside of his home 44:14 or his place of, his dwelling place, 44:19 I'm using that loosely because it wasn't a castle, 44:21 neither was it a small house, but you know, they had, 44:26 it's quite different out of context with us today. 44:28 He was high up on the hill and he was looking down. 44:31 He was looking down and he thought, man, 44:33 and so he didn't control his eyes, 44:35 you got to control your eyes, you know the little kids, 44:37 what's that song? 44:38 What is the lamp to the body 44:40 as the eye or something like that? 44:41 Yeah, the eye is the lamp to the-- 44:44 Yeah, the lamp of the, the lamp-- 44:46 The eye is the lamp. Yeah. 44:48 We're not saying it exactly the correct 44:50 but we know the point of the matter is, 44:52 is the window. 44:53 Yeah. Let's stuff in. In fact, let's stuff in. 44:56 Go and look at the next one. 44:57 Philippians 2:12 and 13, "Therefore, my beloved, 44:59 as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, 45:02 but now much more in my absence, 45:04 work out your own salvation with what? 45:07 Fear and trembling. 45:08 Fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you 45:11 both to will and to do for His good pleasure." 45:13 What I love about this is the imagery 45:16 that Paul is using, workout. 45:18 In other words, get rid of this stuff 45:21 even with fearing trembling, get rid of that stuff, 45:23 get it out, so that God can bring in, 45:27 who works in all the good stuff that add for his pleasure. 45:31 So this idea of get rid of it, toss it out, 45:33 like God bring this in, 45:35 I love that part of this passage. 45:36 And the fear and trembling part is, 45:39 if I don't, it could really mess me up. 45:43 You know, it's the same way you walk past a vicious dog, 45:47 nothing is more fearful than vicious dog 45:49 who is sleeping and his chain is disconnected. 45:52 Fear and trembling, almost immediately, 45:56 you see him, you know what he's done before 45:58 and his chain is disconnected 46:00 and that's why Paul writing this, 46:03 Peter chimes in later on by saying, your adversary, 46:08 the devil walks around like a roaring lion 46:12 seeking whom he may devour. 46:14 Fear and trembling be really careful, work it out, 46:18 make sure that you're sober and you're vigilant. 46:24 Your analogy, let's take it another step further 46:26 'cause I think it's a good one. 46:27 This dog that is, 46:29 they're barking and ferocious and bearing its teeth, 46:33 you can say the two definitions of fear are this. 46:36 Being afraid which is the dog gets loose 46:39 and it's coming after you 46:41 and you can't stop that there's no chain on him. 46:43 The other fear, a biblical fear is chained up. 46:48 You look at it, and you fear it, 46:51 but it's not coming, 46:52 it's not something to be afraid of, 46:54 because it's not eminent to your destruction. 46:58 But you're not gonna go walk over there 47:00 and get close enough to where it can get you 47:02 but you still fear it but it is chained up. 47:05 And that's kind of how God allows temptations, 47:07 he chains the temptation doesn't come after you, 47:12 you have to kind of subject yourself to it. 47:13 There you go, I like it. That's true. 47:15 He doesn't say, go get temptation. 47:18 The temptation is in the vicinity 47:21 but you're the one have to decide, 47:22 am I gonna let it bite me? 47:24 Am I gonna go to it? That's why I like 2 Peter. 47:27 You didn't include this one but this is powerful, 47:30 this in fact is the formula. 47:32 I think of this one as the formula 47:35 of Christian success. 47:37 2 Peter 1:5-9, but also for this very reason, 47:43 giving all diligence, look at this, 47:45 this is an equation, this is literally an equation, 47:49 add to your faith virtue. 47:53 I got faith, be virtuous, that means loving, 47:56 to virtue, knowledge. 47:58 You're loving kind of person, get something in your head, 48:02 to knowledge, self control. 48:05 You know a lot, 48:07 but why can't you control yourself? 48:09 To self control, perseverance, 48:11 okay you're person of self- control, 48:13 but now you need patience, you got to hold on. 48:16 You got to hang in there. 48:19 To perseverance, godliness, you got to, 48:22 while you're hanging on, you have to have a goal. 48:25 If I could hang in here, I'll be more like Jesus, 48:28 to godliness brotherly kindness. 48:31 Oh, I'm a godly person but while I'm persevering 48:34 and I'm focusing on the Lord, I still need to love my friends 48:36 that are around me, to brotherly kindness, love. 48:41 Notice the equation, continuingly adding. 48:43 I like that. 48:45 And Paul or Peter 48:47 is asking the saints to be intentional about this. 48:51 This is with all diligence, 48:52 so gone is this idea that the Bible doesn't say 48:56 that we need to be doing something 48:57 in our salvation experience. 49:00 We are saved by God in His grace alone 49:02 but as we are saved everyday 49:04 we cooperate with Him in that sanctifying life 49:08 that He has set us apart for 49:10 and we do that by being diligent 49:12 and putting forth effort to add these kinds of things. 49:15 Now, God in His Spirit provides the change 49:18 and the desires and other things, 49:19 but we cooperate, we add 49:21 because we participate in making sure 49:24 that we're putting things in us, around us, 49:27 or reading the right stuff, or looking at the right stuff 49:29 and that's what part of repentance 49:31 or repentant life is all about. 49:32 You know, 49:34 you've heard the phrase, Jesus paid it all, 49:35 he paid it all but as Wintley Phipps says, 49:37 and I give him the credit for this. 49:38 He, Jesus paid it all, but he can't do it all. 49:42 You know, people have been taken out to dinner or to lunch 49:46 and we had occasions where people say, 49:48 hey, let's all go out to lunch, it's on me. 49:51 He paid for the bill 49:53 but he didn't eat all that food, 49:54 you better eat the food, I paid the bill 49:56 but I can't eat all that. 49:58 Jesus paid it all but He didn't do it all. 50:01 He says now that I paid, you have access to everything 50:06 and the pay it all, 50:07 it's not so much just paying for your sin 50:10 but he says also it's a payment of provision. 50:12 I paid it all, you mean it's all mine? 50:16 Yeah, you can get a virtue from me, knowledge from me, 50:18 self-control from me, perseverance from me, 50:21 godliness from me, brotherly kindness from me, 50:23 love from me, you can get faith from me, 50:26 virtue from-- 50:27 it's all yours. 50:28 You got access to all of it, I paid for all of this. 50:31 Really? So now it's all yours. 50:33 So now, you can add, add, add. 50:35 And do it by the act of the will, 50:36 allowing it to come in. 50:38 The right action of the will, 50:39 something that people often don't 50:40 and then he says in 2 Peter 1:8. 50:44 "For if these things are yours and abound, 50:48 you will be neither barren 50:52 nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 50:56 For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, 51:00 even to blindness, and has forgotten 51:03 that he was cleansed from his old sins." 51:05 See, so, he says, 51:08 if you don't have these things in your life, you're blind. 51:12 It's not because I didn't make it available. 51:14 You're short-sighted, 51:16 you can't see what's available to you, 51:17 people that are short-sighted, 51:19 somebody says what happened? 51:21 Ah, I'm just tired. 51:23 I thought you were going to-- 51:26 Matter of fact, let me use an old story, 51:27 an illustration, I spoke with the young man, I said, 51:30 can you walk to California, 51:31 now he's living in Orlando, Florida, 51:33 I said can you walk to California? 51:34 He said no. I said why? 51:38 He says, it's too far, I said that's not but I ask you, 51:40 can you walk there? 51:43 I guess? 51:44 I said that's not what I ask you? 51:45 Can you walk there? 51:47 Yes, but it's gonna take a while. 51:48 I said okay, great. 51:50 At least you know it's gonna take some time. 51:52 But the soon as you begin this journey, 51:55 you'll get there sooner than later. 51:58 Why would you want me to walk to California? 52:00 I said that's just an illustration 52:02 to say the reason why you haven't gotten anywhere in life 52:05 'cause you haven't aimed to get anywhere in life. 52:07 And people often, you can never become the Christian 52:09 you don't aim to become. 52:11 You could never become the person in Bible study 52:14 and in your prayer life, in your witnessing life, 52:16 you can never become that person, 52:19 if you never even have an organizational plan 52:22 to become that person. 52:24 Reorganization is a huge one. Yeah. 52:26 And that's where it leads to the last piece of this 52:29 which is petition. 52:31 John, take us there, because really, 52:33 you almost want to save, we need to ask for God 52:35 to help us with this, this power 52:37 and to have this strength 52:39 and to have this change of desire 52:41 that we can't do for ourselves. 52:42 I want to add one more component before-- 52:45 Go to Isaiah 1:16-20, I want you to read that. 52:48 I just was doing the talking, I want to change the tone 52:51 so that you catch this 52:52 'cause sometimes in hearing the same voice they miss it 52:55 but the voice. 52:56 Isaiah 1:16-20, this is a reorganization one. 52:59 Look at it. 53:00 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, 53:02 Put away the evil of your doings 53:04 from before My eyes. 53:06 Cease to do evil, Learn to do good, 53:08 Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor, 53:09 Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow." 53:11 See, you notice all these things, 53:12 this is your responsibilities, 53:15 your obligation and he says, now, okay, 53:17 so the Lord says okay, since I've told you to do that, 53:20 let me show you some of the benefits. 53:22 He says, "Come now, let us reason together," 53:24 says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, 53:27 this is what you see, they shall be as white as snow, 53:30 this is how they're gonna become, 53:32 Though they are red like crimson, 53:33 this is what you see they shall be as wool." 53:35 This is exactly what I'm gonna work with you 53:37 and this is how's gonna happen. 53:39 Here is the spirit of reorganization, 53:41 verse 19, John, read that. 53:44 This is the benefit, 53:45 this is the spirit of reorganization. 53:49 "If you are willing and obedient, 53:51 you shall eat of the good of the land." 53:53 If that's the spirit of reorganization, 53:55 are you willing? 53:56 Are you willing? Yeah. 53:58 You'll get the benefits, 53:59 but here is the opposite spirit of organization, 54:04 verse 20. 54:05 "But if you refuse and rebel, 54:07 you shall be devoured by the sword." 54:10 For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 54:11 If you don't want to do it, this is what's gonna happen. 54:15 But if you're willing and obedient, 54:17 this is what's gonna happen, this is the benefit. 54:19 So there's a beautiful benefit to one would be reorganized. 54:23 Now, lead us into the last one. 54:25 The last one is petition 54:26 and this is for asking for this change of heart. 54:30 You know, we talked about, 54:32 I use the word intentionally cooperation several times, 54:36 and our part of the cooperation is reorganization. 54:39 God's part is what we petition in for, 54:41 which is the change of desire. 54:43 So we petition him to change our hearts, 54:47 to mould us and to shape us. 54:49 One I didn't put in there is change my heart, 54:50 oh God, renew a right spirit in me. 54:53 No, I didn't put that, here is Psalm 51:10. 54:56 So seek the power of God's grace, 54:59 because He alone can change your life. 55:01 He is the only one that can change your desires 55:03 and the way you feel. 55:04 Some even goes far as you say, 55:07 "We don't feel to repent, I don't feel like doing this." 55:09 Well, pray to be made willing 55:13 and I did this for long time in my life early on. 55:16 I recognized that I was not living in harmony with God 55:19 and his desires. 55:21 And so over and over again, I found myself discouraged 55:24 and just feeling like boy, my life is not meaningful, 55:28 but I don't feel like being religious, so to speak. 55:31 And so I got into a point where I prayed to be willing. 55:36 Lord, I'm not willing, but I give you the latitude, 55:39 I exercise my free will right now 55:41 to give you the latitude to change my heart 55:43 and make me willing. 55:44 And he did. You know what? 55:46 That's huge, John, because lot of people 55:48 and the point that you just made 55:49 was very important to bring out. 55:51 The Lord doesn't make you willing 55:52 unless you give him the license to do it. 55:56 He doesn't make you holy as you say Lord, 55:59 create in me a clean heart. 56:01 That is the license, create in me a clean heart, 56:05 please renew a steadfast spirit within me. 56:07 And here's what the Lord says. Jeremiah 29:13. 56:10 "You will seek me and you will find me 56:14 when you search for me with all your heart." 56:16 That is that petitioning. 56:18 You will seek me and find me 56:19 when you search for me with all your heart. 56:22 That's the petitioning, the longing after God. 56:24 Another one, shall I go to the next one, John? 56:27 Yes, please. 56:29 2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He said to me, 56:31 'My grace is sufficient for you, 56:32 for my strength is made perfect in weakness.'" 56:35 We have to keep that in mind 56:36 because as we're aiming to the goal, 56:38 pressing toward the mark for the price of the upper call 56:40 of God and Christ Jesus, another one 56:42 press towards the mark, that's another one. 56:43 Yes, that's a good one. 56:45 As we're pressing there, we have to know that, 56:46 I'm not yet strong, God's say, but don't worry about it, 56:49 I am, when you are weak, I am strong. 56:52 That's right, and that's why He says come boldly-- 56:54 Go ahead, finish it. Hebrews 4:16. 56:56 Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, 56:58 that we may obtain mercy 56:59 and find grace in the time of need. 57:01 And that boldness, 57:02 the best word I find for it is confidence. 57:05 Come with confidence that God is merciful 57:08 and He will help you in your time of need. 57:09 And He does that, 57:11 and so when we think about these principles, 57:13 petition, and you know, reorganization and submission, 57:20 all these principles 57:21 that we talked about over the last three programs, 57:23 the Lord want you to be far more than you have envisioned. 57:26 He want you to be just like Him 57:28 and only He can provide the strength, 57:30 so give your life to the Lord. 57:32 May God bless you till we see you again. |
Revised 2016-08-04