Participants: Jim Reinking
Series Code: LDS
Program Code: LDS000025
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00:33 My wife and I had several gospel singing groups
00:37 through the years beginning with Maranatha Singers 00:39 and then at seminary Voices of Praise 00:42 and then Abundant Life Singers back in the 90s 00:46 and I just love harmony and instrumentation 00:51 and it really is like the harmonies 00:53 that the love of Jesus ought to set forth in our hearts 00:56 and minds, isn't it. 00:58 And tippling our groups we would have nine 01:01 and ten singers stretched out here 01:02 kind of they were with mikes 01:04 and instrumentation and our first album 01:09 we released with Chapel Records 01:11 was the album Worship His Majesty. 01:13 I still love the music on some on that album. 01:17 And then the second release with did back in 94' 01:20 "I Go to the Rock." 01:22 And music is a lot of fun, music is a beautiful thing 01:28 and you know we're gonna spend a lot of time in heaven 01:31 doing a lot of singing and praising. 01:33 We truly are, aren't we? 01:36 Well, here you are Sabbath morning 01:38 and we're going to get right into the Word of God 01:40 this morning but you will remember 01:43 this is number three in the series 01:46 the Revival series that we are doing on Sabbath mornings 01:49 during the course of the Life Discoveries Series. 01:52 And the first three Sabbaths 01:54 have been uniquely designed for you 01:56 and beginning with next Sabbath 01:59 as we invite our guest from the community 02:01 that have been coming. 02:02 You will remember that last week in our Revival 02:06 we were looking at the wonderful beautiful subject of Jesus. 02:09 Jesus in His righteousness, 02:12 Jesus in His imputed righteousness 02:14 that is when we accept Jesus Christ by faith, 02:18 His perfect life becomes ours. 02:20 And God accepts us as if we have never sinned. 02:25 I tell you it doesn't get any better than that. 02:28 We call that justification and we call that being accounted 02:33 or considered righteous. 02:35 And we also looked at the fact 02:37 that the Bible teaches that His righteousness, 02:40 His life, His very life is in imparted to us 02:43 in the process of the relationship 02:46 as through the months and years 02:48 of our relationship in Jesus Christ 02:50 we are becoming like Him. 02:54 We're becoming like the one that we loved, 02:56 the one that abides in us and we abide in Him. 03:00 It is transformational 03:02 the relationship in Jesus Christ. 03:06 And by the way I mentioned something the other night 03:09 I'd like to mention this morning. 03:10 When it comes to the Bible 03:13 and relates to this whole thing of Righteousness by Faith 03:16 when it comes to the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy 03:19 there are two major things 03:21 that we have always see if we take a good look at it. 03:23 Number one, we are going to see 03:25 that the standard is high. 03:27 The standard of God's righteousness is perfect. 03:31 God demands absolute perfection of us 03:35 and how do we measure up 03:37 to that expectation on God's part, 03:39 that perfection. 03:40 What's the answer? 03:42 Through the righteousness of Jesus, right. 03:46 It means the perfect requirements 03:49 that we find in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy 03:51 and by the way some people never get 03:53 beyond their requirements. 03:55 They just kind of cringe and they just kind of melt 03:57 because how can anybody ever measure up to it, 04:00 nobody apart from Jesus Christ 04:02 ever can measure up to the things 04:03 that God requires of us. 04:06 But that which He requires of us, 04:09 he makes provision for us through Jesus Christ 04:12 and that's the other great thing. 04:14 The great power the love 04:16 and grace that is ours in Jesus Christ. 04:20 And so as we study the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy 04:23 as we see these two things, 04:26 we must keep them in sharp focus. 04:29 Yes, high standard but His love, His love is all sufficient. 04:34 Jesus said it, My grace is sufficient for you. 04:37 Where sin abounds grace does much more abounds, 04:41 the standard is so high, it is. 04:43 And it is impossible for us to ever measure up 04:46 other sides apart from Jesus Christ. 04:49 Can you say amen to that? Amen. 04:51 And then I am gonna take you to a text as we get 04:54 and it's a continuation of our study here 04:57 on Righteousness by Faith that we began last week. 05:00 And the computer is been a little bit slow 05:02 but its Romans 3:28 where Paul says we are, 05:06 "Justified by faith apart from the works of the law." 05:11 That is through our obedience, 05:13 our attempt our feeble attempt that would be 05:16 because we have been deeply effected by sin 05:19 our feeble attempt again to keep the law. 05:23 And so we are justified, 05:25 we are saved apart from the words of the law. 05:29 And the scriptures are certainly clear 05:31 that our salvation is dependent on our faith 05:35 not on our works or our obedience. 05:39 However, there is a relationship between faith and obedience, 05:43 absolutely there is a relationship. 05:45 In fact, Paul in writing his second letter to Timothy, 05:48 its in Timothy Chapter 3, 05:51 he is speaking of the end times 05:53 when he makes his observation that there will be many 05:55 who would have the form of godliness 05:59 but they would deny the power thereof. 06:03 And now my friend, the privilege that we have in Jesus Christ 06:06 is not to just make a confession of Jesus. 06:09 Not just to have the doctrines, 06:12 do you know have that understanding 06:13 proper understanding that doctrines 06:15 and teachings my friend, its much more than that. 06:18 It is experiencing the power that is ours in Jesus Christ 06:23 through His love and grace 06:25 and through the power of His word. 06:28 And my friend, there is no power apart from Jesus 06:33 and His word, word and the grace 06:35 that is freely offered to each one of us. 06:39 Indeed God's word indicates 06:41 that there going to be many last days 06:43 before the coming of Jesus 06:44 who are going to have an empty form of Christianity, 06:48 whose wives are a denial of His saving power. 06:52 In fact, Jesus spoke of it Himself in Matthew Chapter 7 06:56 and looking at verse 21 06:58 where He said "Not everyone who says to Me, 07:00 'Lord, Lord,' 07:01 will enter the kingdom of heaven, 07:03 but he who does the will of My Father 07:05 who is in heaven will enter." 07:08 Now I just read almost 3:28 where it says by the words 07:12 you know by the words of the law 07:13 no one is going to justified 07:15 or saved and yet Jesus said it here. 07:17 Not everybody who says Lord, Lord, 07:19 not every one who makes a profession of Me 07:23 is going to be in the kingdom of heaven. 07:25 But he who does now that word "does" how we understand 07:31 how we do is essential to understanding of faith 07:36 and our relationship to Jesus Christ. 07:38 Would you not say absolutely essential 07:42 "But he who does the will of My Father 07:44 who is in heaven will enter." 07:46 And my friend, the gospel is proactive. 07:51 It is powerful. 07:53 It is not experience passively 07:55 in the Christian believer's heart. 07:58 It is not a passive experience, 08:00 its dynamic, it's also subtle, often it's subtle. 08:07 And so again you know Jesus talks about a profession, 08:10 a empty profession without a living, 08:13 living powerful experience in Jesus Christ. 08:18 And I think its pulled together, 08:21 its pulled together in the epistle of James 08:23 the letter written by James. 08:25 So I invite you to take your Bibles 08:26 and turn with me to James Chapter 2, 08:28 the New Testament page 178, 178 08:33 as we look at James 2, James 2 08:38 and beginning with let's see I think its verse 14. 08:43 Let me get there myself. Yes it is. 08:45 James Chapter 2 and looking at verse 14. 08:47 You will remember, this is this fascinating 08:50 and for some probably 08:52 this course on the relationship between faith and works, 08:59 and again you see the connection 09:00 if you were with us last night a last, 09:03 last Saturday morning as we looked at the imputed 09:06 and the imparted righteousness of Jesus. 09:09 I just wanted to look at that a little bit more deeper 09:13 so that it's a little clearer to us. 09:16 In James 2:14, James says, "What use is it, my brethren, 09:22 if someone says he has faith but he has no works?" 09:27 What use is it and what is James trying to get out? 09:32 What's the point that he is trying to get at here? 09:36 "What use is it, my brethren, 09:37 if someone says he has faith but he has no works?" 09:41 I think that the very least, we understand 09:46 as we begin to look at this passage of scripture 09:48 that James is making a, is establishing 09:52 or speaking of a relationship between faith and works. 09:59 And the question what use is it, 10:01 I think directly you know James is getting at the point 10:05 that faith without works is useless. 10:10 Faith and there's leaders 10:11 who are doing the right thing is useless. 10:15 And then he asks the question 10:16 further can that faith save him? 10:19 What kind of faith? Faith that doesn't work. 10:23 Faith that doesn't work, can it save an individual 10:26 and what's the obvious answer that James is getting? 10:28 That faith will not save anybody 10:31 because it's a denial of the power 10:33 that is our work in us by the means of faith, right. 10:40 There is a power that is that work at us. 10:41 And on and again immediately 10:43 sometimes it is very subtle 10:45 but nevertheless, it is powerful as we take a look at, 10:50 at faith and how it works within us. 10:52 Let's move on to verses 15 and 16. 10:55 James 2:15, 16. 10:59 where he says "If a brother or sister is without clothing 11:02 and in need of daily food and one of you says to them, 11:06 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' 11:09 and yet you do not give them 11:10 what is necessary for their body, 11:12 what use is that?" 11:14 It is just fascinating to me in the world of theology 11:17 when we talk about faith and works 11:19 we really do get just very philosophical 11:22 and very technical and all the rest of it. 11:25 But when you look out 11:26 what James is talking about here, 11:27 when he talks about this illustration 11:30 in verses 15 and 16, 11:31 he is talking about something that is very practical. 11:35 And every time I read this verse, 11:37 I think about couple of people that in my community 11:41 stand on the corner of Sprague and Pines, 11:45 in tattered cloths with a little cardboards sign 11:50 begging for money, and for food. 11:54 And if my wife and I are in the car 11:57 and we're passing somebody with one of those cars-- 11:58 you probably don't have this in Court Wallace do you? 12:00 You are a more, you do, 12:04 you wouldn't not in Court Wallace. 12:06 This is, this is a, educated 12:08 I mean this is a high class city isn't it. 12:12 That's what they're told but anyway 12:14 and so my wife and I are in this conversation 12:18 and I am saying to myself 12:20 is it that you're gonna use it for drugs, 12:22 is it you're gonna use it for alcohol, for his smokes. 12:26 And my wife is saying, 12:28 I don't know what is he gonna use it for 12:30 but if he or she is really in need 12:33 I am gonna them five bucks or whatever. 12:36 And that's the tenderness of my-- my wife's heart. 12:40 And I am working on it, 12:42 you know I am working on it. 12:44 The other day I came across a woman that, 12:47 that was you know, she was outside Wal-Mart 12:51 there in Spokane Valley and I went into the parking lot. 12:55 I went right by her 12:57 and she said single mother in need. 13:00 Young woman and I went in there, 13:02 she was all my mind the whole time 13:03 I was in there picking up a few things 13:05 and I came out and I decided that 13:06 I am gonna do something for that woman. 13:08 You know, what if there was my, 13:10 my daughter and what if there was my son? 13:12 And they were truly down and out, 13:15 hungry, didn't know where to go, 13:17 didn't know what to do 13:18 and so I came by opened my window and gave her $5. 13:23 I mean that was a pittance wasn't it. 13:26 So when we talk about faith and works 13:27 we can be so very theological 13:29 but James is so very practical 13:32 and he is talking about 13:33 you can have all the faith of the world. 13:35 You can pat somebody on the back that really is in need and say 13:38 "you know, be a good courage, 13:40 go in peace, be warned, be warmed, be feel up. 13:47 And then she don't give them anything. 13:50 That wouldn't be true of us will it? 13:53 No, faith is so practical. 13:56 Genuine faith, genuine faith 14:00 cannot be disassociated from the life is what we find. 14:05 You can't disassociate from the life. 14:08 Genuine faith will always reveal itself 14:10 in loving concern for others. 14:14 I'll tell you there have been battles 14:15 that have been fought over in the Christian church 14:18 and in the Seventh-day Adventist church, 14:19 battles fought over this matter of faith 14:22 and some of the coldest 14:23 and some of the most cruel things 14:25 have been done and said over this matter of faith. 14:30 And what constitutes faith, 14:32 you know what I am talking about don't you 14:35 for hitting that, 14:36 you know the very basis of the law is love. 14:40 We didn't have this battles but it's about love. 14:44 Faith is about love, it's about His loving us, 14:48 us loving Him, and us loving others. 14:52 Because of Him faith really cannot be genuine without it. 14:58 In fact in 1 John 3:17-19 and it says 15:04 "But whoever has the world's goods, 15:07 and beholds his brother in need 15:09 and closes his heart against him, 15:12 how does the love of God abide in him? 15:15 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, 15:19 but in deed and truth." 15:21 You know, my generation, 15:24 you know or my let me begin with my parents generation. 15:27 I knew my parents loved me 15:29 but I never heard those words 15:30 until I was well-- well, into my adult years. 15:34 My parent's generation just did not utter those words often. 15:41 But my generations 15:43 some of you are part of my generation 15:45 my wife and I are very expressive. 15:48 We, verbalize our love often to our sons. 15:52 We have done that since they were little kids. 15:54 And I still will often put my arms around David 15:58 who is 27 and I'll say" David, I love you." 16:01 And you know what he'll tell me 16:02 "I love you too dad." 16:04 And I will grab my arms around Kevin 16:07 he got out the door before I could do that 16:09 on Thursday night, 16:10 they came over for dinner we had a family dinner together 16:13 and he was headed out and I am not gonna see him 16:15 for at least ten to ten days, two weeks. 16:19 And I was regretting that 16:21 I didn't rush out there to the car 16:23 and put my arms around Kevin and say 16:25 "Kevin, I love you, I love you." 16:29 It's good to verbalize ones love and affection 16:34 and we need to verbalize our love and affection 16:37 for one another within a certain context that's just fine. 16:40 But my friend, actions do speak louder than words. 16:44 We got to back up what we say with our lips 16:46 with what we do, love in action. 16:50 And that's what he is talking about here. 16:52 Love in action. 16:54 Anyway I had privilege of, 16:55 privilege of being in Kenya about six, seven years, 16:58 down there in south western Kenya 17:00 not far from the beside country. 17:03 And it was a fascinating experience. 17:05 I remember on one Sabbath morning 17:07 we had 25,000 people on the football field. 17:10 You know it's a soccer field over there. 17:13 Football field that they gathered together 17:15 in a congregation largest group I had ever preached to 17:19 and I will tell you they were workers. 17:21 We had some pastors and lay workers 17:24 and let me tell you 17:25 they have wonderful choirs in Kenya. 17:29 They are witnessing choirs, 17:31 they are not just you know and they I could-- 17:34 I gonna bring in clips one night I have them on my computer. 17:36 Actually it's some of the wonderful choirs 17:39 and how they come in singing. 17:41 But they would come into a village, 17:43 they will go into a town and they will go to the homes 17:46 and they are witnessing. 17:49 And then they will sing, 17:51 you know, they were singing the meetings. 17:52 That's the kind of, you know, I love that. 17:55 [ Singing in foreign language ] 19:00 So in the process of being down in Kenya 19:02 we discovered 50% of that population 19:05 some two million in that part of Kenya 19:07 were gonna die because of AIDS. 19:09 It's just rampant and through the pastor's wife, 19:14 who also was the pastor Silvia, 19:15 that's Silvia bending over there. 19:18 Through Silvia I discovered that 19:20 she had established a ministry with 300 widows 19:24 whose husbands all had died of AIDS 19:26 and everyone last, every last one them had AIDS. 19:30 And they were living primitively, 19:33 they were living in what we would typically think 19:35 of as an African hut with a dirt floor 19:39 and we were in an elevation and it got cold 19:43 they didn't have one blanket. 19:45 The Quite Hour had given us $500. 19:48 James Zechariah said "Hey, somebody gave us some money 19:51 here take this money and use it for something good." 19:54 And so among the things that we did was 19:57 we bought them all blankets, 300 blankets. 20:01 We were-- buy out of Kisii town 20:04 which is a small, it's a city actually. 20:06 Silvia is telling me we have enough blankets for each one 20:11 which is really need here. 20:17 Thank you very much. Okay. 20:21 And we were able to give them to each one of those women 20:24 we were able to buy seven Chinese 20:26 finely made Chinese sewing machines. 20:31 And we got material and thread 20:34 and because they were just so poor 20:37 and we found they were several 20:38 that already were sew mistress but they didn't have the tools. 20:41 We provided it, 20:42 and then we provided somebody to teach them 20:44 how to sew and then we made arrangements to rent a shop 20:50 where they could sell the clothing they have made 20:55 because this was a big item in that culture, clothing. 20:59 And so you see it's just doing practical things 21:04 to meet the needs of others. 21:05 We could be so caught up in our minds 21:07 doing our own thing going on our own way 21:09 that we just kind of blinders on its 21:11 as if we were just unconscious that people have needs. 21:15 And my friend, there is needs right here in the fellowship. 21:19 There are needs and some of you have will never speak of, 21:21 something you just want to hold close to you. 21:24 But nevertheless, we all have needs 21:27 and that's part of the reason why we have fellowship, 21:31 is in love to support and to encourage others 21:35 and to meet the needs of individuals. 21:39 So what would you do if you had somebody 21:40 in your, in your congregation 21:43 who is going through the awful financial situation 21:46 the housing market who is on the verge 21:47 of losing their house. 21:49 We have this going on in my home church 21:52 and you know not due to anything 21:54 that they had done foolishly would we seek 22:00 to help somebody out in that situation. 22:04 What are the limits? 22:05 You know, everybody is on their own, 22:08 everybody has got to take care of their own needs work it out. 22:12 Well, I think there is something more 22:14 that we can do but you see practical faith in Jesus 22:17 always reaches out to touch the lives of others. 22:20 If our lives have been touched by His love, 22:24 His love will touch the lives of others through us. 22:27 We become the instruments, we become the channels. 22:30 In James Chapter 2 and moving on to verse 17, 22:34 James 2:17 he says "Even so faith, 22:38 if it has no works, is dead being by itself." 22:43 Now think of the import of this statement. 22:47 "Faith without works is dead." 22:52 And so I examine my own heart 22:54 what's the condition of my spiritual life, 22:56 what's the condition of my relationship to Jesus 22:58 and all that I profess is my faith is the genuine 23:02 or could it be possible to have dead faith? 23:06 You know that's, you know just believing that. 23:10 You know not really experiencing 23:14 and its all about experiencing, isn't it, it's experiential. 23:18 And so I ask you this morning 23:20 how is your faith in Jesus this morning? 23:22 Is it thriving, is it growing, is it affecting your life, 23:26 is it affecting my life with the spirit of His love 23:30 and with His grace? 23:32 Does my life bear testimony 23:34 to the genuineness of my profession of Jesus? 23:38 Does it? 23:40 You know, nobody else can answer that for us. 23:43 And then I am gonna take you on James 2 23:46 and looking at verse 18 where he says 23:48 "But someone may well say, 'You have faith 23:52 and I have works show me your faith without the works, 23:55 and I will show you my faith by my works.'" 23:59 So now we begin to see a correlation 24:01 that is my life will bear a testimony 24:06 to who possesses the heart. 24:10 If self is in throne it will be seen 24:16 in what I do and what I say. 24:19 If Christ is in throne it will, 24:24 you know, the life will give testimony of His presence. 24:28 Will it not in some ways? 24:30 Now I am not perfect, 24:32 you know you're not perfect we sometimes will stumble, 24:35 sometimes we may lose it. 24:37 May be we'll get a little impatient 24:39 or may be a little bit irritable on some mornings 24:42 but we are talking about the tendency of our experience 24:46 in Jesus will reveal itself in our lives. 24:49 This is a growing experience 24:52 and if I would say as how many of you have attained 24:54 you have reached the fullness 24:55 what it means to be just like Jesus 24:59 under every circumstance of the life 25:01 and every situation of life. 25:03 And you know what this hand goes down 25:06 along with the rest of you. 25:08 You know because we are growing 25:11 but that's the beauty of what we have studied last night. 25:13 Where He is in the good times? 25:15 Where He is when things are going wrong in our lives? 25:20 That's the confidence and the assurance 25:22 that we have in Jesus Christ. 25:25 My oldest son David was three months old when we, 25:28 we started this work three months old. 25:31 And we are in the Dakotas for two years 25:34 and then we were in Montana for another two years. 25:36 We are in Montana we just finished a series of meetings. 25:39 We were even renting a home in Montana 25:42 which meant we were living fulltime on the road 25:44 in a 40-foot fifth wheel trailer 25:46 which has its challenges of itself 25:49 where you get cabin fever on occasion 25:51 and so we are to finish this series of meetings. 25:53 And we are pulling the trailer 25:55 heading back to Bozeman, Montana, 25:57 to get a about nine day break 26:01 before the next series of meetings. 26:03 We pulled into a service station 26:04 because I had a 1979, Ford truck, 26:08 460 horse, 4 barrel carburetor 26:13 and that thing just sucked up the fuel, let me tell you. 26:17 So we often had to stop you 26:18 even though I have two fuel tanks in it. 26:21 And so I was feeling inept and I went in to pay up 26:23 and David I don't know what's about kids 26:25 but if there is toys anywhere in the store they just 26:29 and it's almost like they make a beeline to it. 26:31 And he had found this rack with these plastic 26:35 you know, these, these plastic packages 26:39 with very simple toys in it. 26:41 And he had found this train set and he looked at me, 26:46 3-years old, and he is saying 26:47 "daddy can you buy that for me." 26:50 And so I looked at it 26:51 and then we just like couple of box 26:52 I bought it for him 26:54 and we were just not very far from the hotel, 26:58 where we gonna stay in the motel 26:59 we are going to stay for that night. 27:00 He could hardly wait until we got settle in there. 27:03 We had to bring in the suitcases and all rest of it. 27:06 They get settled in there 27:07 so you know his daddy could help him 27:10 put together the toy train. 27:12 And so finally, I mean, he was so anxious. 27:15 We sat at that roundtable and we laid up the oval track. 27:19 It was very simple. 27:21 And put the engine on the track 27:24 and then a couple of cars and then the caboose 27:25 that was meant to be pulled around the track. 27:28 But you see when we put it on the track 27:30 and we begin to pull it, it always derailed. 27:33 We put it on and it again it would derail, it kept derailing. 27:37 And that was frustrating. 27:38 It was frustrating for me 27:39 because he was looking forward to it. 27:42 It was frustrating to him 27:43 because he was looking forward to it. 27:46 And it was, it was frustrating. 27:52 And you know what we ended up, 27:53 what we ended up doing with it? 27:55 We tossed it. It didn't work. 27:59 It wasn't any good. 28:01 And so we just, we ended up throwing it away. 28:06 Faith, genuine faith does work, 28:09 it does work. 28:11 That's what we find as we study the Word of God. 28:15 Galatians 2:20 as we-- 28:18 probably what the Bible teaches about this matter of faith, 28:22 Galatians 2 and here it is 28:24 one of my favorite passages of scripture 28:26 where he says, "I have been crucified with Christ 28:30 and it is no longer I who live, but Christ." 28:35 Christ what? "Christ lives in me." 28:39 And that happens by faith. 28:42 "Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh 28:45 I live by faith in the Son of God, 28:48 who loved me and gave Himself up for me." 28:52 Oh, my friend, if indeed by faith Christ is living in you 28:55 and He is living in me 28:59 His life cannot be hidden within. 29:02 If Christ is living in you and me 29:04 His life will be manifested through us. 29:09 He will be manifested through us. 29:12 And I don't know about you but I pray about this everyday. 29:16 I just pray Lord Jesus I take of myself as a lump of clay. 29:19 I just saw that in Romania several years, some years ago 29:23 a potter with clay I've never seen that before. 29:26 And it's left the impression on me ever since. 29:28 And I just see myself as a clay 29:31 I was praying that about this morning. 29:33 Oh Jesus, like You where a potter would 29:36 put his hands to clay 29:37 put Your hands to this heart and to this mind. 29:42 Mold me and fashion me into Your likeness 29:47 because I think all of us are in this together 29:49 we want to have the Spirit of Jesus. 29:54 Not just the profession of it 29:56 we want the genuine article of the Spirit of Jesus 30:00 to become more like Jesus. 30:02 His tenderness, His compassion, His gentleness 30:07 and how we relate to others 30:09 beginning in our home 30:10 that's the first place where it begins. 30:13 Beginning in my marriage, beginning with my children, 30:17 beginning with my friends, includes some of my friends, 30:20 including the fellowship with the great diversity 30:23 that is usually present among most churches, 30:27 learning of lot not just those who are just like me, 30:30 but those who may be are not like me 30:32 in temperament or whatever. 30:35 It's about loving and accepting and caring 30:38 for and caring for those who are outside of the walls. 30:42 I assume that's part of the reason 30:43 why you wanted to do a series of meetings more than you-- 30:46 the fact that he has money sitting in the bank account 30:48 you need to do something with it. 30:51 There are people out there 30:52 you have, you care about them. 30:56 You want to reach them. 30:57 You want to do it effectively. 30:59 I know that you want to do this effectively 31:02 as you possibly can. 31:03 On Colossians 1:27 31:06 where Paul says "To whom God willed 31:08 to make known what is the riches 31:10 of the glory of this mystery." 31:12 And my friend, it is mysterious 31:16 this spiritual process because it you know 31:19 at this process of becoming like Jesus, 31:21 the Holy Spirit working in our hearts. 31:25 "The riches of the glory of this mystery, 31:27 which is Christ in you, 31:31 the hope of glory." 31:35 It's a thing of beauty. 31:38 It's powerful. 31:39 And my friend, if Christ is in us 31:42 He will be in what we do. 31:45 Jesus will be in what we say. 31:48 He will, won't He? 31:50 Again we can't just disassociate a genuine faith from the life. 31:57 And that's why the imputed 31:58 and important righteousness of Jesus 32:00 is vital to understand and to experience 32:03 this process of becoming like him 32:07 which is again something wonderful, 32:10 something that is great. 32:11 Taking you on, 32:12 because I have little more I want to share with you. 32:16 I want to take you to John 15:5 32:22 and you know this text well 32:23 where Jesus said "Abide in Me and I in you." 32:26 And again my friend, if Jesus is abiding in the heart 32:30 the life will give the evidence of His presence. 32:34 It will, there is a correlation 32:36 and my friend, if what we profess 32:39 is disassociated from our lives 32:42 what we do out there. 32:44 How we are living how we are interacting. 32:47 If it's not to direct us-- 32:48 if there is disassociation 32:51 then my friend, something has gone wrong. 32:55 There's an integration that takes place by faith 33:00 in our relationship to Jesus 33:02 and integration between what we profess 33:05 and what we live. 33:08 And that's part of the problem 33:09 with extremeness of that we have seen 33:11 in this whole subject of Righteousness by Faith 33:13 because some have been 33:14 so legalistic in this whole thing of the faith 33:17 and so legalistic over this whole thing 33:19 of Righteousness by Faith. 33:21 This whole thing, this whole idea works 33:24 and what we do and how we live 33:26 comes under suspicion. 33:29 It almost seems to have a taint of legalism 33:32 to suggest that we do matters. 33:36 But it does matter because it is reflective 33:40 of what is in the heart or better yet. 33:43 Who is in the heart? 33:47 And there will be disharmony, 33:51 there will be disharmony between the two. 33:53 And Steps to Christ, page 57, 33:55 we have this statement it says "While we cannot" 33:57 look at this its right there in the Bible 34:00 it's certainly biblical. 34:02 It says "While we cannot do anything 34:04 to change our hearts or to bring ourselves 34:06 into harmony with God." 34:08 And all of us because of our own experience 34:11 with sin would say, amen. 34:14 I can't do it, you can't do it. 34:16 It can't change-- may want something better, 34:18 may long for something better, 34:20 so it says in Roman 7. 34:21 I may have the desire to do what is right. 34:23 But the doing is not present within me. 34:27 It's not because we're soul in the bondage to sin. 34:30 Okay so "While we cannot do anything to change our hearts 34:33 or to bring ourselves into harmony with God 34:36 while we must not trust at all to ourselves 34:39 or our good works." 34:41 We must not, we cannot, we dare not. 34:47 "Our lives" it goes on to say "will reveal." 34:49 Our lives will reveal this, 34:52 "Whether the grace of God is dwelling within us." 34:59 See there is this, this thing about grace 35:02 that often is overlooked. 35:03 Grace is the American favor of God grace is 35:06 but grace also it involves the power of God. 35:11 That's often overlooked 35:12 when we come under grace the power that's transforming. 35:16 2 Corinthians 12 35:17 where Jesus said to Paul "My grace is sufficient for you, 35:21 for my strength is made perfected in weakness." 35:25 And there we see the correlation 35:26 between grace and the perfecting of His power 35:29 and strength within us. 35:31 And this is the privilege we have. 35:33 You know, I have been talking about the fact 35:35 that we need to, 35:37 you know, we can have 35:38 this first love experience with Jesus. 35:43 That vibrant love in Jesus that some of us 35:46 you know may be we've got in a little bit 35:49 this is like a couple of just been living together too long. 35:54 You know, may be they're sleeping in two different rooms. 35:57 And I heard of this couple they couldn't afford the divorce 36:02 so he occupied the main floor well, 36:04 she occupied and it was a really nice house 36:06 she occupied the lower level that was hers, 36:09 that was her too and the two were never to meet. 36:13 You know, they had the same household address 36:18 that to the casual observer they seem to be married 36:22 and all that but they weren't really. 36:24 They were going through the motions of it. 36:27 And my friend, if we have been 36:29 going through the motions of it 36:32 then we have not been experiencing the tremendous joy 36:37 and the tremendous power 36:39 that comes from a vibrant relationship in Jesus. 36:43 And it's a growth thing 36:45 and my friend, just the trust the Lord to do it. 36:47 You can't manufacture it I can't manufacture it 36:50 but it comes as we yield to give ourselves 36:52 to the one that we love. 36:53 As we yield ourselves 36:55 then we begin to experience in a deeper level 36:59 what I am talking about this morning. 37:03 Okay, and then I must take you 37:07 on to Selected Messages, book 1, page 397 37:11 "Genuine faith will be manifested in good works 37:17 for good works are the fruits of faith." 37:21 And I think all of us would agree with that. 37:23 "As God works" now there is a reason 37:26 why I am sharing with you. 37:27 Now notice the dynamic 37:28 the spiritual dynamic that's taking place. 37:30 "As God works in the heart, 37:33 and man surrenders his will to God." 37:35 That's all yielding to Him. 37:37 "And cooperates with God." 37:39 That's our part isn't it-- 37:41 that's really all that we could do. 37:43 Yield ourselves and to cooperate with God. 37:46 "He works out." 37:48 That is man, women 37:50 and we're using in generic sense. 37:52 "He works out in the life" by faith 37:56 "where God works in by the Holy Spirit, 38:00 and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart 38:03 and the practice of the life." 38:05 And so that's our part by faith 38:08 we are working out by the grace of Jesus, 38:11 by the grace of Jesus, 38:12 we are working out of our lives 38:14 that which God is working into our lives. 38:20 It's a beautiful statement. 38:22 And really it puts it so well. 38:23 Spurgeon it this way 38:24 "Faith and obedience are bound up 38:26 in the same bundle. 38:27 He that obeys God trusts God 38:30 and he that trusts God obeys God. 38:32 He that is without faith is without works 38:35 and he that is without works is without faith." 38:39 Well he really got hold of that one, didn't he? 38:43 You see in the world of theology 38:45 when we talk about faith of works, 38:47 we want to break things down, faith is here, works is here. 38:51 We talk about one or the other 38:53 and sometimes we talk about them together 38:55 but in reality they are in separable. 39:02 Without faith works are legalism. 39:07 Faith without works, well we have read it dead, 39:12 its impractical, it's just a profession. 39:18 In fact, this from the Interpreters 39:20 One-Volume Commentary, page 920, I love this one. 39:24 Where it says "Faith and works are two sides 39:27 of the same reality." 39:29 The same reality. 39:31 "Faith is the inner side of the action, 39:34 works are the outward expression of faith." 39:39 So they are not separate, 39:41 one is the inner side and one is the outer expression of it, 39:46 you see that. 39:48 And so one will follow the other, 39:51 that is works will follow the faith is what we find. 39:55 Take a look at James 2:19. 40:00 James 2:19, and as we continue on here 40:04 where James says "You believe that God is one. 40:08 You do well, the devils also believe, and shudder." 40:12 Do the devils really believe? 40:13 Do the demons, do those fallen angels really believe? 40:15 Of course they do. They once inhabited heaven. 40:19 They once stood in the presence of God. 40:21 They once were singing those praise before God 40:23 the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. 40:27 But then they rebelled, they rebelled. 40:31 Yes, they believed that their works-- 40:35 we know something about their works don't we. 40:37 Their works, their testimony that it is not really faith. 40:44 So we really should talk about that for a moment. 40:46 It's not just believing, believing at least a doctrines 40:52 though the teachings are important 40:53 because they are relevant to who Jesus is. 40:56 It's a content to the relationship, 40:58 the teachings are content to the relationship. 41:01 That is more than just the intellectual belief 41:04 it is an engagement of the heart with Jesus Christ. 41:09 It's not just believing intellectual 41:11 it's an engagement of the heart with Jesus Christ. 41:14 It is being connected to Jesus Christ. 41:17 It is faith and other word for faith is love. 41:20 It is a commitment of love. 41:22 A commitment of love on God's part to us 41:25 and a response of love in commitment to Him. 41:30 So there is faith has love and it has commitment. 41:35 I asked you, was it the last weekend 41:37 any of you know something about a committed 41:40 or in a committed relationship? 41:43 Well, you know something the dynamics 41:45 just on a human side of it. 41:47 But that really is just a reflection 41:50 of the deeper experience that we have the privilege 41:54 of knowing in Jesus Christ. 41:55 Verse 20, "But are you willing to recognize, 41:58 you foolish fellow, that faith without works is" is what? 42:05 Verse 20, right? "Is useless?" 42:08 Its dead and then it fascinates me 42:10 as you continue on. 42:12 As he is talking about fathom words 42:14 that he refers to an Old Testament 42:16 illustration of what he is talking about. 42:18 Take a look at verse 22. 42:20 "You see" he says you see, that-- well just a minute. 42:26 Verse 21, I was in 22, verse 21. 42:29 "Was not Abraham our father justified by works 42:33 when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?" 42:37 Just a minute does that bother anybody, 42:39 justified by works? 42:40 We just read in Romans 3:28 42:43 and there is a reason why I began with that text. 42:46 That no one is justified by the words of the law 42:49 but here it saying and it's in the New Testament 42:52 that Abraham was justified by his works. 42:58 That's problematic and he is talking about 43:02 when he offered up his son on the altar. 43:05 So it's referring to Old Testament story 43:07 that most of us probably are familiar with. 43:09 You know that story don't you? 43:12 You know Abraham, 43:13 I mean, he was required of bring himself 43:15 of everything that he knew 43:16 from the culture and the society. 43:17 There Mesopotamia and God says, 43:20 I am going to take you to if I way place 43:21 I am gonna give it to you and your inhabitants 43:24 and by the way that's gonna be like 43:25 the sands on a seashore. 43:28 Look at up in the heavens they're gonna be 43:30 like the stars unnumbered you are descendant. 43:33 Nations are gonna come forth from you. 43:36 And you're going to have a son. 43:38 He was the son of promise. 43:44 Years begin to click by one by one. 43:47 Decades began to go by no son. 43:51 They're getting older, you know the story 43:53 and, and you know finally Sara said 43:56 "you know want to take my handmade 43:59 and you would have a son and it would be fulfilled." 44:04 And so Ishmael was born and that God said no 44:08 he has not any part of the inheritance 44:11 that I'm promised. 44:13 It was hard but Ishmael had to leave. 44:16 You know so they tried a couple of different ways 44:18 to try to fulfill that which God had promised. 44:21 By the way that's legalism. 44:25 That was legalistic 44:26 because they were not depending upon God 44:28 to fulfill what he said he would do. 44:32 Okay, so Abraham knew-- so after many years-- 44:37 I mean they're hundred what a 100-years old. 44:40 They are told Sarah is going to conceive 44:43 and you're gonna have a son about a year from now. 44:46 And Sarah is in her tent just laughing herself to that almost, 44:52 how could it be. 44:54 She says "our bodies are dead. And we are old it just can't be. 45:00 In my old age I am gonna be a mother. 45:03 It just won't happen." But it did happen. 45:06 And let me tell you they treasure that boy of promise. 45:10 They loved him. Didn't they? 45:12 They just loved him. 45:14 Isaac, they waited so long and God had fulfilled his word 45:19 as He had promised, all of their hopes 45:22 where the present and the future were wrapped up 45:24 in that boy that they loved. 45:28 So I move forward about some 20-years 45:30 or whatever it was from that point forward 45:32 and Abraham has his dream in his path. 45:35 And God comes to him and says 45:36 "I want you to take the son of yours. 45:39 I want to see if you really do love me. 45:41 And I want you to take him 45:42 and I want you to sacrifice him." 45:46 Now remember, 45:47 Abraham had the sentiment relationship with God 45:50 and he knew when God was speaking 45:52 He could have said "oh this could be God 45:55 but did I eat last night." 45:57 And so case introgression, what it is. 46:00 Then no, no how do we know. 46:01 Now here is the question 46:03 how do we know that Abraham had faith? 46:06 Well, we know from the biblical record 46:07 he didn't sleep in the next morning 46:08 he got up extra early 46:10 that's how we know that he had faith. 46:12 How do we know that Abraham had faith? 46:15 He went over stood one of his servants 46:17 he said "We'll be called sacrifice prepared the animals, 46:21 prepare we have got a journey to take." 46:23 He was instructed that he was to go to Mt. Moriah 46:25 that was gonna be ending up to be 46:27 a three days journey as it played out. 46:30 How do we know that Abraham had faith? 46:34 Abraham can you imagine this went over to where his son 46:39 was yet sleeping. 46:41 And he stirred him, he said "Isaac, wake up. 46:46 God has called us to sacrifice." 46:50 How do we know that Abraham had faith? 46:53 For the next three days can you imagine 46:55 what was on Abraham's heart? 46:57 For the next three days 47:00 they were traveling through the wilderness. 47:02 Every step was a step of faith. 47:07 How do we know that Abraham had faith? 47:11 Son and father climb to the heights of Mt. Moriah 47:16 and there Abraham lays his son upon the altar 47:21 and after those good byes, 47:25 he raises his hand with a knife 47:30 and only then the God step in 47:34 and He said "do not harm the child 47:37 for now I know that you love Me." 47:40 Right? 47:42 Now I know that you have faith in Me. 47:44 And now did He know it. 47:46 His actions showed it right. 47:50 And by the way now-- this was not just a task 47:54 this was to be a Revelation to Abraham 47:57 and to Isaac was there a sacrifice on that occasion. 48:01 What did they find over in the thicket 48:03 caught in the thicket, a ram? 48:07 And they sacrificed that ram. 48:09 What did the ram prefigure or symbolize? 48:13 The sacrifice of Jesus. 48:15 And so there was a substitution that was provided 48:19 on the top of the heights of that mountain 48:22 which gave Abraham and Isaac deeper insights 48:25 into the substitution that God would offer 48:29 on their behalf or their salvation. 48:32 And by the way we would know 48:35 this mountain by a different name. 48:37 I am gonna bring it up here. 48:41 Gonna bring it up here because Mt. Moriah is Mt. Zion. 48:49 And the mount somewhere else it says 48:50 under the dome of rock there is a rock there 48:53 under the dome of the rock is the very place 48:56 where this story took place with Abraham and Isaac. 49:00 Think of it. 49:02 At the very place that God would give up 49:06 His son for the life of the world is the place 49:10 that He brought Abraham to offer up his son. 49:16 And I say it in doing so in acting out his faith 49:21 he gained a greater insight into God's love 49:25 and the plan of salvation. 49:27 He knew what it was gonna cost 49:29 God the Father to give up His only Son 49:34 in a way that He would never have known 49:37 if He had not had experienced it 49:40 when He had been called to give up His own Son. 49:44 In Old Testament story of faith 49:46 and how faith works and my friend, 49:49 we too will be blessed as by faith 49:53 we are willing to act 49:55 in accordance with the will of God we will. 50:02 James 2:22 50:04 we finish up with these last two verses, 50:07 "You see that faith was working with his works, 50:12 and as a result of the works, faith was perfected." 50:15 My friend, when you're being tried 50:17 and you're not sure that you can hold on 50:19 that you can you know persevere through in faith 50:23 just keep praying, just keep trusting God 50:26 just keep paying on by faith. 50:29 And let me tell you, 50:30 you will come out the other side strengthened 50:32 in you faith in Jesus. 50:35 You'll have the deeper experience in Him than you had. 50:38 If you just simply just threw up your hands and say 50:41 "you know, works so matter anyway. 50:44 Its all legalism." 50:45 No it's not necessarily, 50:48 its opportunities for us to grow in faith. 50:54 You know, I have this in life experiences 50:57 and I you know may be shouldn't refer to in publicly 50:59 but my family was wrenched apart, 51:01 my birth family over this issue of money. 51:05 One family member who taught to they ought to get it all. 51:09 And had sued my dad's estate after his death 51:13 to get out his money and sued my mother for her money 51:16 and went after my sister and I, over money. 51:23 That was pretty tough, it was hard. 51:27 You know, have somebody in the family with such hate 51:31 and you know just I just have never seen especially in family 51:35 that it should be such hate and such determination 51:38 to destroy with such intensive anger. 51:42 And you know I have been around in the world. 51:45 I have been around in people. 51:46 I just had never seen something 51:47 as intensive and as venomous. 51:52 And as I showed you other night 51:54 that the other one thing I could do, 51:56 I put on my mirror 51:58 in my master bathroom several texts. 52:01 They've posted by the way on the website. 52:06 A several texts and often I would read those texts 52:09 and I would say "well, Jesus, 52:11 I am gonna trust You no matter what." 52:15 It took about two years unravel the whole thing 52:18 but by His grace it was. 52:21 And my friend, having gone through hard times 52:25 trusting in Jesus strengthens our faith 52:29 for the future, it does. 52:31 Alas and did my Savior bleed 52:39 And did my Sovereign die? 52:46 Would He devote that sacred head 52:53 For such a worm as I? 53:05 Was it for crimes that I have done 53:13 He groaned upon the tree? 53:20 Amazing pity! 53:24 Grace unknown! 53:28 And love beyond degree! 53:35 At the cross, at the cross 53:39 Where I first saw the light 53:42 And the burden of my heart rolled away 53:50 It was there by faith 53:54 I received my sight 53:58 And now I am happy all the day 54:09 But drops of grief can never repay 54:17 The debt of love I owe 54:25 Here, Lord, 54:27 I give myself away 54:33 It is all that I can do 54:40 At the cross, at the cross 54:43 Where I first saw the light 54:47 And the burden of my heart rolled away 54:54 It was there by faith 54:59 I received my sight 55:06 And now 55:09 I am happy all the day 55:26 Let's pray. 55:28 Father in heaven, how grateful we are 55:31 that You are who You are and who You say that You are. 55:36 That You are God 55:38 the all powerful one omnipotent, almighty. 55:43 Ruler, sovereign of this universe 55:47 but You are also as You are declared 55:49 You are a God of love, 55:51 of compassion, of mercy and gentleness. 55:56 And this morning we are humbled 55:59 that You would consider us of any importance 56:05 that You would love us, that You would value us, 56:09 that You would seek us that we would matter. 56:13 And Lord, we just want to respond 56:15 and give our very selves to You. 56:17 We invite You to come into our hearts 56:19 to abide in us to posses us to live out Your life in us. 56:25 Oh Lord Jesus, 56:26 fuel us to the fullness of the measure 56:28 of the glory that is Yours 56:31 is our prayer in Jesus name, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17