Participants: Ty Gibson
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000420
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01:01 I wanna share with you
01:02 something very important today. 01:04 Something, that's very near and dear to my heart. 01:07 And it's so important in fact 01:10 that I would like to ask you 01:12 to have an added word of prayer with me. 01:14 I know, we've had prayer, 01:16 but we can't approach God's throne too much 01:22 to seek the guidance of His Holy Spirit 01:24 as we open this precious book. 01:26 So would you just right where you are, 01:27 just bow your heads with me as we talk to God. 01:31 Gracious Father in heaven, 01:35 we know, that You're there 01:36 and that You hear our voice right now. 01:40 As we collectively as a group 01:41 speak to You through this prayer. 01:46 Father, we know that You want to talk to us, 01:49 that You want to communicate with us. 01:52 And it is our great desire Lord, 01:54 that we would be sensitive to your voice 01:57 that we would hear what You have to say. 02:00 So please, right now, 02:02 we ask that Your Holy Spirit would come very near 02:06 to each one of us and that we would be opened up deep inside 02:10 our intellects and our emotions Lord 02:12 crying out for you reaching out 02:16 from deep inside of us 02:18 to apprehend something more 02:20 of Your glory and Your love. 02:22 Lord we desire this with all our hearts 02:24 and we know that You will fulfill our desire, 02:27 because we come to You and we pray, 02:30 in the beautiful name of Jesus, amen. 02:35 I want to begin this afternoon by telling you, 02:38 about a lady that I met 02:41 in the beautiful country of Latvia on the Baltic Sea. 02:45 Her name is Agita. 02:48 And Agita was attending a series of meetings 02:52 in a theatre that we rented, 02:55 and I was the featured speaker for. 02:58 And of all the people in this particular gathering 03:01 and there were upwards towards a thousand of them. 03:05 With all those faces out there it was a Agita 03:07 that I noticed about three rows back to my right 03:11 I noticed her. 03:13 And over and over again in the meeting 03:16 her facial expressions were so in tune 03:20 with what was being said, that I thought 03:23 I'd like to meet that lady 03:24 and find out what's going on in her mind. 03:26 But then her facial expressions begin to change. 03:30 I noticed her again and now she began to look frustrated. 03:34 She began to look angry even. 03:38 And so I focused on what I was saying my message 03:41 and turned my attention away from her 03:43 so as not to get distracted. 03:45 And as soon as the meeting was over 03:47 and I stepped down from the stage Agita, 03:50 approached to me and she was dead serious about something. 03:55 Through her broken English she came right up to me 03:59 and looked into my eyes 04:00 and she said these words to me. 04:02 She said, why would anybody want to live forever. 04:05 I am trying to work up the courage to end my life. 04:08 Now, eternal life was not the specific topic 04:12 of my address that evening. 04:16 But somewhere in that message 04:18 I must have used the words eternal life, 04:20 or I must have spoken in passing about living forever. 04:26 Though, it wasn't my topic, she latched on to those words. 04:30 Now you have to understand that Latvia is a country 04:35 that is largely made up of people 04:37 who do not believe even in the existence of God. 04:40 It is largely an atheist country. 04:45 Now, it wasn't always atheist, 04:48 but you see Latvia during my visit 04:50 was living in the dark aftermath 04:54 of a very recent tragic history, 04:57 because the Russians had come in 05:00 and tried to impose communism 05:03 on the people of this lovely country. 05:06 Before that time they were a people rich in faith. 05:10 And most of the people believed in God, 05:12 but now, now they had witnessed with their eyes 05:16 so much tragedy, so much pain, so much heartaches, 05:20 so much bloodshed by the hand of their dominators 05:27 that most of the people had reasoned God out of existence 05:30 and they said there couldn't possibly 05:32 be a God anywhere in this universe. 05:36 Because if there is a God certainly He would not allow 05:39 such horrible things to happen to us and to our children. 05:45 And you can understand 05:46 their frustration and their pain. 05:49 You will find if you look at history 05:51 that atheism in our world is for the most part a phenomenon 05:58 that has come into existence out of pain. 06:02 And in other words many people choose not to believe in God, 06:06 because life hurts too bad. 06:09 And they can't fit the equation 06:12 together in their mind. 06:13 God is love, and God is good, and God is powerful, 06:16 but look what's happening to me. 06:19 Look at the pain, look at the suffering in this world 06:23 and so it's much easier 06:25 psychologically and emotionally 06:27 it's much easier for some people to just say 06:30 there must not be a God. I don't believe in God. 06:33 And you see Agita was one of those. 06:37 She was trying to reason God out of existence in her mind. 06:42 To rationalize that there couldn't possibly 06:44 be a God in heaven, because of what she had gone through. 06:48 And when I had spoken those very, very charged words 06:51 eternal life or living forever 06:54 or whatever it was that I said 06:56 that arouse her frustration and anger. 06:59 When I spoke those words she bolted from her seat 07:02 as soon as the meeting was over, 07:05 came straight up to me and she said, 07:08 why would anybody want to live forever? 07:10 I am trying to work up the courage to take my life 07:14 and I begin to feel her pain. 07:17 I said, please to meet you, I didn't even get your name 07:20 and she told me her name, Agita. 07:23 And there we met for the first time 07:25 and she began not willingly at first, 07:28 but she began to unfold the story 07:30 of her very tragic life to me. 07:34 Agita began by telling me 07:36 how that when she was a teenaged girl 07:39 so happy in the life that she had 07:43 that the Russian soldiers, they could hear them marching 07:47 in the distance came into her very neighborhood. 07:50 They are in Madona, Latvia 07:53 where I was holding these meetings. 07:55 And as the Russian soldiers 07:57 marched through her neighborhood, 08:00 some of them came right up to her house 08:05 and as they came in she said first thing that they did 08:08 was they put a bullet through my father's head 08:10 right in front of our eyes. 08:12 The next thing they did 08:13 was they proceeded to rape my mother and myself 08:17 in front of my fiancé and my brothers. 08:22 Then they killed my fiancé and my brothers 08:27 and commanded my mother and I 08:29 to take all of our personal belongings 08:33 that had any kind of sentimental value 08:35 like the marriage license 08:37 of the father and mother of that home. 08:40 Like any family photos, all financial records, 08:45 birth certificates everything that had any sentimental value 08:49 the soldier said gather up put it on the front lawn 08:53 and they doused it with fuel and torched it 08:56 and then commanded mother and daughter 08:58 never to speak their mother tongue of Latvian 09:01 again on penalty of death. 09:06 You are Russian now they told them. 09:09 Your family has gone make due 09:13 and they put them out of their house 09:16 and one of the soldiers 09:18 laid claim to that house as his own. 09:21 An incredible amount of pain 09:24 was surging through this lady's heart. 09:27 And as she spoke to me and told me the story 09:30 I begin to understand what she meant when she said, 09:33 why would anybody want to live forever? 09:37 I am trying to work up the courage to take my life, 09:40 to end my existence. 09:43 You see Agita was imagining 09:46 that eternal life would just be more of the same. 09:50 More pain and heartache, 09:53 more of the terrible atrocities 09:56 that had afflicted her life and she couldn't imagine 10:00 even living for fifty, sixty, seventy 10:02 and eighty years in this life 10:03 and finding any thing to live for. 10:07 So when I spoke those words, she thought 10:09 why would anybody that is a ridiculous idea 10:12 she said to me, why would anybody want to live forever? 10:15 I don't wanna live forever I'd like to end it right now. 10:18 Life is so hard, the memories are so vivid, 10:21 the pain is so intense. 10:23 Why would I want to live forever? 10:27 And with that she proceeded to turn on her heals 10:29 and to walk away from me and head for the door 10:33 having stated her case. 10:36 I didn't know what to do, but I had seen in her eyes 10:40 a pain that I thought might be healed. 10:46 And so I said to her as she was walking out the door 10:49 shouting to the back of her head. 10:51 I said, Agita please don't go. 10:53 Give me a chance to explain something to you. 10:58 She turned around and glanced at me 10:59 with her eyes filled with anger 11:01 and she said explain something to me, 11:04 you can't explain anything to me. 11:07 Nothing could explain or justify 11:10 or in anyway make sense out of what I've been through. 11:14 And I said, I agree and I resonate with your pain, 11:19 but please, please could I have 11:20 a few moments of your time. 11:24 She came back reluctant, 11:28 but I could see that if there wasn't answer she wanted it. 11:32 Have you ever met people like that? 11:33 May be you've been a person like that. 11:36 Where on the surface you're running from God, 11:41 but deep in your heart you wish, 11:42 He would take hold of you and give an explanation. 11:46 Have you ever felt like that? 11:48 Well, if you were here yesterday 11:50 to hear my personal story, I can tell you that 11:53 I definitely have felt like that throughout my life. 11:56 Longing for God to explain 11:58 and feeling a deep inner impulse to run from God 12:02 well at the same time wishing that He would find me. 12:05 And Agita was like that. 12:07 Agita somehow wanted an answer and yet couldn't believe 12:11 that there could be an answer. 12:14 But she reluctantly came back and she stood before me 12:17 and she said what could you possibly say 12:19 that would make a difference? 12:20 I said, well, I don't know 12:22 if what I will say would make a difference. 12:24 But please let me try and just as I was speaking to her 12:27 in all honesty I didn't know what I was gonna say. 12:30 I thought this is such a horrible, 12:33 horrible situation. 12:35 What a problem to solve. 12:36 This woman wants nothing to do with God. 12:39 She wants nothing to do with eternal life, 12:41 because she thinks it will just be more of the same, 12:44 endless days of heartache and pain. 12:48 So I said Agita listen, you gonna have to do something 12:51 that may be a little bit awkward at first. 12:54 Would you just cooperate for a minute, 12:56 you don't even know me and I am gonna ask you 12:58 to do something that certainly will seem a little strange, 13:01 but would you please cooperate for a moment. 13:04 Agita would you close your eyes? 13:07 She said, close my eyes. 13:09 Well, we were in a public place 13:11 and there were people swarming all around us in the theatre. 13:17 She looked around a little nervous 13:19 and then she cooperated. 13:21 She said, okay, I will close my eyes. 13:24 She closed her eyes and then what I said to her was this. 13:28 I said, Agita right now as your eyes are close, 13:30 I'd like you to do something, would you please right now 13:33 in this moment would you please 13:34 call to the forefront of your memory? 13:39 Would you please imagine and picture the best things 13:45 that have ever happened to you in this life? 13:47 Would you imagine, would you remember just for a moment 13:51 the people and the events that made you laugh 13:56 with joy, and cry with a sense of acceptance and love, 14:02 would just remember those people for a moment? 14:05 Remember them, are there any people like that Agita. 14:07 People you loved and people who loved you, 14:10 would you just think and remember 14:13 the happiest moments of your life. 14:16 The happiest moments Agita and then I was silent. 14:20 And as I looked at her face, the anger began to subside 14:25 and I saw tears beginning to squeeze forth 14:28 out of her clenched eyes. 14:32 I said, okay, Agita open your eyes now. 14:35 She opened her eyes 14:36 and now she was soft in her appearance. 14:39 I said, Agita tell me what were you remembering? 14:41 What were the happiest moments of your life? 14:44 Who were the best people you ever knew? 14:46 Tell me Agita, what were you seeing in your mind 14:49 as you were remembering. 14:52 And I never forget what she told me. 14:54 She began by telling about happy days 14:57 by the lake near their home 14:59 when as a little girl her daddy whom 15:01 she referred to as papa would take her on his back 15:05 and pretend to be a dolphin or a whale 15:07 and swim far out into the lake and then swim back 15:10 and when she spoke his name papa, 15:16 it was almost musical. 15:18 You could hear intense love in her voice 15:21 as she talked about and remembered her father. 15:25 And then she told about her mom, she said my momma, 15:27 she was so beautiful. What a lovely lady she was. 15:31 She would sit up with me late into the night 15:33 and sometimes we were talking giggle about girl things, 15:37 about teenaged things, about whatever I was going through 15:40 and she said my momma loved me and I always knew it. 15:45 Isn't that precious? 15:47 And then and then Agita shifted gears 15:50 and she talked about another kind of love. 15:54 Her voice changed and it began to crack 15:56 with emotion and Agita proceeded 15:58 to tell me about her fiancé. 16:01 She referred to him as her best friend 16:04 and she talked about how great it was 16:07 to fall in love with him. 16:09 And how she was looking forward to her wedding day. 16:13 As she told me about when he had asked 16:16 if she would marry him and how excited she was to say yes, 16:21 with all the enthusiasm of her heart, 16:23 yes, I will marry you. 16:24 She talked about his virtues and how good looking he was 16:29 and what a great sense of humor he had, 16:31 and what a great friend he was. 16:34 My best friend, she said. 16:37 And they took him from me. 16:41 And then she began to cry again. 16:44 And then I said Agita, Agita this is it 16:46 exactly what you're talking about. 16:48 This is what eternal life is all about. 16:50 She said, what do you mean? What are you talking about? 16:53 I said Agita listen to me, eternal life, 16:57 eternal life is like the immortalizing 16:59 of those moments. 17:02 Eternal life is like being in love with people, 17:07 like your papa and you momma, and your fiancé. 17:11 Eternal life Agita is not 17:13 endless days of pain and sorrow. 17:16 Eternal life is like falling in love forever 17:21 with the most beautiful person in all the universe. 17:23 Eternal life is an endless, nonstop, full throttled, 17:29 free fall of a love relationship 17:33 with the best person in all the universe, and that's God. 17:41 And she was blown away, 17:42 she said what are you telling me. 17:44 I said Agita, I wanna share one Bible verse 17:46 with you, just one. 17:49 And most of you don't have Bibles today, 17:51 that's understandable here at this family funfair. 17:55 Do not have your Bible with you, 17:56 but I brought mine and you've probably heard 17:58 this verse before, I am just gonna share with you 18:01 as I did with Agita. 18:03 And incredible insight that Jesus gave in John 17, verse 3 18:07 this is what I shared with Agita, verse 3. 18:10 Jesus speaking to His heavenly Father in prayer, 18:13 this is what He said about eternal life. 18:14 Listen to this very carefully, Jesus said, 18:18 "And this is eternal life, that they might know you 18:24 the only true God, 18:25 and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." 18:29 Now, I want you to notice something about this verse. 18:31 The same thing I shared with Agita. 18:34 I want you to notice that Jesus now this is something 18:37 you want to carefully take note of. 18:39 Jesus did not define eternal life 18:42 in terms of its duration. 18:45 Do you understand what I mean by that? 18:47 He didn't say eternal life is 18:48 millions and billions of years without end. 18:53 Now, that's often how we think of eternal life. 18:56 We think eternal life simply means to live, how long? 19:02 Can I hear you? Forever that's right. 19:04 Eternal life means to live forever, 19:06 that's what it means. 19:07 I mean, certainly eternal life does include living forever. 19:14 But notice that Jesus did not define eternal life 19:18 in terms of its length or its duration. 19:21 He didn't say this is eternal life to live forever. 19:25 Jesus rather defined eternal life 19:28 in terms of its quality, did you noticed that? 19:33 He said this is eternal life to know God, 19:39 interesting isn't that? 19:42 What does it mean to know God? 19:45 Do you realize that Jesus used 19:47 perhaps the most intimate word in scripture 19:51 both in the Hebrew language and in the Greek language? 19:55 He said eternal life means to know God. 19:59 It's the same word, same concept 20:02 that is used in the Greek version 20:04 of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. 20:06 It's the same word that is used in the Old Testament 20:10 when the Bible says, Adam knew his wife Eve 20:14 and she conceived and brought forth a son. 20:18 Now, of course, what this verse is talking about is 20:22 it's talking about the sexual act within marriage. 20:26 Adam knew his wife Eve and she became pregnant 20:31 and gave birth to a son. 20:33 So it's talking about a very 20:35 intimate kind of knowing, isn't it? 20:37 within marriage it's talking about the closest 20:41 that two human beings ever come, 20:42 I mean think about it. 20:45 The greatest experiences that we ever know 20:47 in this life are the experiences 20:50 that come to us by way of another person's personality 20:54 and character and life and body, 20:57 mind and soul intersecting with our own 21:00 and we fall in love. 21:02 Would you agree that the greatest experience in life 21:06 is to fall in love with a man with a woman 21:09 with whom we can say truly I have found fellowship 21:13 and this person is my friend. 21:16 Would you agree that that's the greatest experience 21:18 in life that we can have. It's not things, is it? 21:22 Even when you think of going to heaven 21:23 really you know what, 21:24 heaven is not about the streets of gold? 21:28 Heaven is not about the mansions 21:30 that Jesus promised. 21:32 Heaven is not about having a city home and country home 21:35 and a crown with many stars. 21:38 All of that is incidental, it's peripheral. 21:42 It is the icing on the cake so to speak. 21:44 To be sure there will be streets of gold, 21:47 there will be gates of pearl, 21:49 there will be mansion and we'll live in them. 21:52 Eternal life will be totally 21:55 and complete posh and luxurious 21:59 as far as material things are concerned. 22:03 But eternal life is not about the streets of gold, 22:07 it's not about the mansions. 22:09 Eternal life is not about material wealth 22:12 and posh luxurious living, is it? 22:16 When Jesus defined eternal life, 22:19 Jesus did not say 22:20 eternal life is to live forever 22:22 in mansions on streets of gold. 22:26 Jesus said eternal life finds its substance, 22:29 its meaning in a quality of life 22:33 that is defined by knowing God 22:36 at the deepest level of intimacy. 22:40 Jesus used the same word that the Bible uses 22:45 to speak of matrimonial intimacy 22:49 by which children are conceived. 22:53 That's absolutely intimate and close 22:56 as human beings can come in this life. 23:00 And Jesus lifted that word 23:04 that defined that kind of intimacy 23:07 between a man and a woman. 23:08 And he transported that concept 23:11 into a spiritual realm. 23:13 And He said in essence, eternal life is to know God, 23:19 that is eternal life is to enter into 23:22 an intimacy with God, a friendship an intimacy 23:27 with God of love, and joy, and peace 23:32 that can only be found in fellowship with the almighty. 23:38 Eternal life Jesus said, is to know God, 23:42 to be intimate with the creator of the universe, 23:46 incredible isn't it? 23:48 That's what eternal life is really all about 23:51 and that's what I shared with Agita. 23:52 I said Agita listen eternal life is not just days, 23:55 and weeks, and months, and years or even 23:57 millions of years or billions of years. 24:00 Eternal life is not about how long it is 24:03 so much as it is what that life is composed up. 24:07 What would you think if I said to you 24:10 that I just celebrated my anniversary last month 24:13 and I did? 24:16 And Sue and I've been married now for 23 years. 24:21 And what if I said to you just having a conversation here 24:26 among all the exhibits? 24:27 You and I just standing there talking 24:28 and I said you know what we just had our anniversary 24:31 being married to Sue, 24:32 I mean I am telling you it is minutes, seconds, 24:35 days, years, months, weeks, 24:38 I mean it is a long being married to Sue, it is long. 24:42 It's long time man. 24:44 I'll tell you what, being married to Sue 24:46 is a very long drawn out event, 24:49 it is minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. 24:53 What would you think about our relationship? 24:55 What would you think if I defined my marriage 24:59 to Sue in terms of merely time? 25:05 But what would you think if I said to you 25:07 ah, being married to Sue, I mean it is like a moment. 25:12 It's been 23 years, but I'll tell you what, 25:15 it has been a great experience, 25:19 a great relationship, 25:22 and she is my best friend in all the world. 25:24 Would you have a different impression 25:26 of our relationship? 25:27 If I defined it in terms of friendship 25:30 and its quality rather than defining this life with Sue 25:35 in terms of time itself. 25:38 Jesus did that very thing. 25:41 Jesus didn't say 25:42 eternal life is to live forever. 25:44 Well, of course it is, 25:46 but really, really what is eternal life? 25:49 In John, Chapter 10 and verse 10, 25:52 Jesus made another profound statement about eternal life. 25:56 Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life." 26:01 Do you know the rest? 26:02 "And that you might have it that is life." 26:05 How? Shout it out to me. 26:08 More abundantly. 26:10 Again what do you see in that verse? 26:12 How is Jesus defining eternal life there? 26:15 In terms of its length, its duration. 26:17 No, He's defining eternal life in terms of its quality. 26:22 And the quality of eternal life is abundant. 26:25 It's an abundant quality. 26:27 It's a very high quality of living. 26:30 Now what makes your life worth living? 26:33 What gives quality to your temporal life, 26:36 to your present life in this world? 26:38 What is it that gives meaning and quality to your life? 26:42 I would venture to say, it's your relationships, right? 26:45 I spoke to a group of kids on the island of Oahu 26:49 a couple of years ago. 26:51 About 300 teenagers 26:54 and they lived in that tropical paradise 26:57 and they love it. 26:58 And I said I want you to imagine 27:01 that I am one of the wealthiest people 27:04 in the world. 27:05 And I am going to give you a gift 27:07 I said to these teenagers. 27:08 And that gift is I am gonna give you 27:11 the island of Kauai just not very far 27:14 from the Oahu the garden island 27:17 by most peoples estimation the most beautiful island 27:20 of all the Hawaiian Islands 27:22 and by many peoples estimation 27:24 perhaps most beautiful spot on earth. 27:27 Kauai, I'm the most wealthy man in the world 27:30 I said to the teenagers and I am gonna give you 27:32 the island of Kauai. How many of you want it. 27:35 And I'll ask you the same, how many of you 27:37 if hypothetically if I could give you the island of Kauai 27:42 would the teenagers how many of you would accept it? 27:44 Oh, of course, you would hand it over. 27:48 Let's schedule the ticket. 27:50 I am going, it's mine, right? 27:52 And all the kids, all the teenagers 27:54 raised their hands and then I said 27:56 now it's yours there is no doubt about it. 27:58 You've got it it's yours 28:00 but there is just one little bitty catch. 28:04 What's the catch they said. 28:06 I said well, it's not a big deal 28:08 because you gonna have the whole island 28:11 and lets just say I'm gonna give you seven houses, 28:13 mansions all over this island strategically place. 28:17 And a great road system and whatever car 28:20 you want you pick for each drive away. 28:22 You can pick any car you want 28:23 and kids started shouting out their favorite cars. 28:26 And I said I am gonna stock these houses 28:29 with every electronic gizmo that you ever desired 28:32 for your parents to buy for you, but they would not. 28:36 And they started shouting their electronic gizmos 28:38 that they wanted. 28:40 And I said on top of that what your favorite food 28:43 because we're gonna stock these houses 28:45 with your favorite food in all the world 28:48 and you will have an abundance of it 28:50 and it will never end, I'll keep the supply coming, 28:53 you can have all you want of your favorite food. 28:59 You'll never guess what they shouted out 29:00 their favorite food was most of them 29:03 it was tragic they said Top Ramen 29:05 was their favorite food. 29:08 And that was fine because it's cheap. 29:10 And even though I am one of the wealthiest men 29:12 in the world that fifteen cents per package 29:14 that's a good deal. 29:16 And so I said fine you have all the Top Ramen 29:18 you could possibly ever eat one little bitty catch. 29:23 One little condition they said what is it? What is it? 29:25 There couldn't any catch give us the island we want it. 29:28 One catch you've got to live there 29:30 for the rest of your life never leave the island 29:33 you got to live there for the rest of your life. 29:35 They said fine, fine fine, no problem. 29:37 You've got to live there for the rest of your life 29:39 let me finish, alone. 29:43 How many of you still want the island 29:45 I asked the teenager and they were the just like 29:47 two or three completely materialistic males, 29:52 they still wanted the island. 29:54 None of the females wanted it. 29:56 And most of the young man did not want it. 29:58 How many of you everything that I have described 30:02 the island of Kauai, seven mansions. 30:05 seven cars of your choice and all the things 30:07 you could possibly desire of material wealth 30:10 its all yours right now. 30:11 Would you accept it if you had to live there 30:13 the rest of your life, alone 30:15 and never see or speak to another soul. 30:18 How many of you would want it? 30:20 I didn't think so. Why not? 30:23 Because intuitively you and I know 30:27 that life truly is not made up of material up things, is it? 30:34 That the quality of life is defined by relationships 30:37 and every one of you would say no way. 30:39 I'd rather live in a cave in the desert in Arizona 30:44 with my honey, with my children, 30:48 with my friends with those I love 30:50 and those who love me. 30:51 I'd rather live in a cave in Arizona 30:55 than on the island of Kauai all by myself. 31:00 Because we know that 31:02 life is really defined by relationships, isn't it? 31:07 And like wise heaven and eternal life listen, 31:10 it's not about the stuff, is it? 31:14 It's not about the material wealth. 31:15 It's not about luxurious living. 31:18 Heaven is going to be luxurious. 31:21 But I'll tell you what the greatest thing about heaven 31:24 is going to be the ongoing continuation 31:28 of an endless falling in love with the most beautiful person 31:32 in all the universe, God Almighty! 31:37 That's what eternal life is really all about. 31:39 So Jesus said this is life eternal, to know God, 31:45 to become intimate with God, to become friends with God, 31:48 that's what eternal life is all about. 31:51 So let me ask you another question. 31:54 What do we know when we know God. 31:58 I mean what will we discover 31:59 because whenever you get to know 32:01 a person you discover things about them. 32:03 And some times it's kind of scary isn't it. 32:05 Some of you got married you're head over heals 32:08 in love with him, with her. 32:10 And then the minutes turned into hours 32:14 and the hours turned into days 32:16 and the days turned into weeks 32:18 and now you are wiping your brow. 32:21 You know, marriage can be the most wonderful thing 32:23 that ever happened to you or the worse thing 32:25 that ever happened to you. Do you agree, yes? 32:31 But listen, Jesus told us that eternal life is to know God, 32:38 so what do we know when we know God. 32:40 What do we discover when we discover Him. 32:42 When we get into the mind, the heart, 32:45 the life of God when we become friends of God. 32:48 When we know God, what do we know. 32:50 I give you another verse, don't have your Bible, 32:53 that's fine, I'll just read it to you. 32:54 It's just the short scripture 32:56 from First John Chapter 4 and verse 16, 32:59 this is an incredible statement by Apostle John. 33:02 He ought to know because he was directly 33:05 in association with Jesus for three-and-a-years 33:09 and this is what John said about knowing God 33:12 and what we will discover when we know God. 33:14 Notice this in First John Chapter 4, verse 16, 33:17 the apostle John said these words, 33:19 he said, "And we have known and believed the love 33:25 that God has toward us. God is love. 33:30 And those who live in love live in God and God in them." 33:37 Did you catch that? What are those three keywords? 33:40 Right in the middle of the text 33:41 that we've to memorize like our phone number. 33:44 What are those 3 words would you say them with me? 33:46 Loud and clear shout out the truth to all the universe. 33:50 "God is love." I didn't hear you. 33:53 One more time, God is love. 33:59 That is the key reality of the universe. 34:04 That is the bottom line of the gospel 34:07 that is the most foundational truth of all the universe. 34:12 God is love and it is the most powerful force. 34:16 in all the cosmos beyond 34:18 and in this world and in your home and in your heart. 34:22 God's love is the most powerful influence 34:25 in all the universe. And it is his very identity. 34:29 Notice that it doesn't say God loves people, 34:34 or God is loving. No, it says God is what, love. 34:40 God is love, that's right. 34:42 It is the essence of His identity. 34:45 It is the core of His character. 34:47 God is love and then notice what he says. 34:51 Anybody who lives in love, lives in God 34:56 and God lives in that person, isn't that incredible? 35:01 Love is God's very identity. 35:04 And so listen when Jesus says this is life eternal 35:07 to know God again I ask you. 35:11 When we know God, what shall we know? 35:15 What we will know His love. 35:17 We will know that God is love 35:20 and we will know in our inmost soul that His love is for 35:24 and toward me and toward you. 35:30 We will know that God's love 35:32 is personal in its application. 35:37 We will know as we get to know God, 35:40 that we are the special objects 35:43 of His focused interest. 35:46 To use the words of an Old Testament prophet, 35:50 we will discover when we know God 35:52 that we are the apple of His eye. 35:55 And what does that phrase mean. 35:58 To be the apple of his eye means, 36:00 that we are the focus of His attention. 36:03 Jesus went so far as to say that 36:05 not even a sparrow can fall dying to the ground, 36:09 but our heavenly Father takes notice. 36:13 And then Jesus said, how much more valuable are you 36:18 than many sparrows? 36:19 What was Jesus is point there? 36:21 What was He trying to say to you and me? 36:23 He was trying to say listen, God is so sensitive, 36:28 God is so filled with love and goodness 36:32 that not even a sparrow, not even a bird, 36:36 not even an animal can die, 36:40 and not have God's heart be impacted 36:42 by that death of that animal. 36:45 Isn't that an incredibly sensitive person 36:48 that Jesus is describing? 36:50 Isn't God truly a beautiful person 36:56 by Jesus' own description? Yes, He is. 37:00 And then Jesus says, 37:02 and you are far more valuable than many sparrows. 37:05 What's the point? 37:07 Another words, God loves you personally individually. 37:13 Listen God loves you dear friend whoever you are, 37:17 I don't know your names God loves you 37:20 as if you were the only person 37:22 to love in all the vast universe. 37:25 God loves you as though it were just you 37:28 and He alone in existence. 37:32 God loves you with all the passion 37:35 and energy and intensity of His divine heart. 37:41 That's how God loves you and that's how God loves me. 37:45 You say wait a minute, there are too many of us, 37:46 how could God possibly love me like that? 37:49 How could He possibly be that aware of me? 37:53 How could He possibly be that interested in me? 37:55 There are billions of people 37:58 and multiplied billions of angels to share His love. 38:01 How could God possibly love me with that kind of love? 38:06 Well, let me just tell you something. 38:09 Some of your parents, 38:10 I want you to imagine the unimaginable. 38:12 Imagine that not only are you parents 38:14 you are way, way, way, way parents. 38:17 Imagine that you have ten children. 38:19 Anybody here have ten kids? 38:21 I didn't think so, that kind of went out with the coming 38:26 in of the technological revolution, didn't that? 38:30 Nobody has ten kids anymore, 38:31 but imagine that you have ten kids 38:33 and let me ask you a question. 38:35 If mathematically your love all the love 38:38 that you have to give is represented 38:41 by the number one hundred percent, you got that so far. 38:44 Your love all of it is represented 38:46 by the number one hundred percent. 38:50 And you have ten kids. 38:54 Do you love each of those ten children 38:56 with a ten percent strength love? 39:01 Did you love each of those ten children 39:03 with just ten percent of the hundred? 39:06 Because they're ten after all 39:08 and you must divide your love among the ten, 39:11 is that how it works even in human affairs, of course not. 39:15 How do you love all ten children? 39:19 You love every one of them 39:21 with one hundred percent of your love, yes or no? 39:26 Yes, and so did you see the reality of love. 39:30 Love is exponential, love is something that multiplies. 39:35 It doesn't divide as it's given, 39:38 it multiplies, it grows, it intensifies. 39:42 The more people there are to love, 39:43 the more God loves. 39:46 There are billions of people no doubt, 39:49 but God loves every single one with one hundred percent 39:56 of all the love that throb in His divine heart. 40:00 Isn't that incredible to think of that, 40:03 to know that, to believe that. 40:05 Well, I hope you do believe it, 40:07 because that's exactly what the Bible teach us. 40:11 The Bible teach us that God loves you and me. 40:15 He knows your name, He knows your address. 40:18 Jesus went so far as to say that He even knows 40:21 how many hairs are on your head. 40:25 And for some of us that is becoming a subtraction event 40:29 as He keeps track, right? 40:33 God knows and loves you as individually and as personally 40:38 as if you were the only person in all the universe. 40:44 Rest in that. 40:47 Take deep repulse, and peace, 40:52 and joy in knowing that God loves you like that. 40:56 And listen, not only does God love you like that, 41:01 but guess what? 41:03 Not only is His love exponential, 41:05 but the Bible teaches that God's love is creative. 41:09 In other words, it creates in its own likeness, right? 41:14 When the Bible says in Genesis 1, 41:16 "God created man in His own." 41:18 You know the words what are they. 41:20 In his own what? "Image." 41:23 When the Bible says God created man 41:25 in his own image, what does that mean? 41:27 It means that God created man in the image 41:31 that is the image of God. And what is that image? 41:33 We just read in First John 4:16. 41:35 What is the image of God? What is His character? 41:37 What is the essence of His identity? 41:39 God what are those three words we have memorized now, 41:42 God is what? Love. 41:47 So God created man in His own image, 41:49 meaning God created mankind in the image of His love. 41:54 To love like God loves. 41:57 What then was the fall of mankind all about? 42:00 What is the sin problem really all about? 42:04 Well, the Bible defines the sin problem like this. 42:08 In Romans 3:23, it says, 42:10 "All have sinned and come short of" 42:14 of what of God, do you remember? 42:16 "The glory of God." Guess what? 42:18 From a biblical perspective 42:20 do you know what the glory of God is? 42:23 According to Exodus 33 and 34, when Moses said, 42:26 Lord I beseech thee show me Your glory." 42:29 God said, okay Moses, I will show you My glory. 42:32 I'll make all My goodness to pass before you. 42:36 And what is the goodness of God? 42:37 What is that makes God good? God's love. 42:42 So when the Bible says, all sinned 42:43 and come short of the glory of God. 42:46 We translate that to mean that all sinned 42:48 and forfeited that image in which we were created. 42:52 We forfeited the image of God. 42:54 We forfeited His love. 42:57 We began to live for who? 42:59 For ourselves rather than living in love 43:02 which means to live for others. 43:07 And so do you see that the sin problem 43:11 is the forfeiture of God's love 43:13 as the ruling governing power of our existence. 43:18 We became self centered 43:19 rather than other centered due to sin. 43:23 Now listen, listen carefully. 43:25 What then reasoning logically 43:28 what then with the plan of salvation be all about? 43:31 Help me out, think this through. 43:33 If God created us in His image, 43:35 the image of His love to love like He loves. 43:38 And if the sin problem is to forfeit that love 43:42 as the ruling governing force of our existence. 43:46 What would the plan of salvation be all about? 43:49 What would the gospel really be all about? 43:51 It's about Jesus by His saving grace restoring to you and me 43:57 and in you and me God's love. 44:01 How do I know this is true? 44:02 Well, look at it with me if you have your Bible 44:04 if you don't just listen to these words. 44:06 In John 17, you remember verse 3, where Jesus said, 44:09 "And this is life eternal." 44:11 And what is life eternal according to Jesus? 44:13 To know who, to know God, that's right. 44:18 Eternal life means to know God 44:20 and then Jesus in the same chapter 44:22 goes on please don't miss this. 44:24 He goes on and He defines what it will be 44:27 like to live for eternity with God. 44:30 Listen to this, Jesus said, 44:33 "Oh righteous Father the world hath not known you." 44:36 Verses 25 and 26 of John 17, 44:38 "The world has not known you, but I have known you, 44:43 and I have known and they have known 44:45 that you sent me into the world." 44:48 Now notice these words, 44:49 "And I Jesus have declared to them. 44:52 Humanity, your name Father, 44:55 so that the love with which you 44:59 Father have loved me Jesus may be in them and I in them." 45:07 Did you catch that? 45:08 Jesus says in verse 3, 45:10 "This is life eternal to know God." 45:14 And then in verse 26, He says that 45:16 when we come into fellowship with God 45:19 and are finally transported into eternity with God. 45:23 Guess what Jesus says that when we know God, 45:27 it will be an experience in which His love 45:31 is in us and we in him. 45:36 Isn't that incredible to know God is to know His love. 45:42 To experience God is to experience His love. 45:45 And which one of us does not want to experience 45:49 that kind of selfless love of God for our souls. 45:56 Think about it. 45:57 There is no greater peace, there is no greater joy, 45:59 there is no greater satisfaction 46:01 that to know of a certainty in your inmost heart of hearts, 46:05 that you are the object of God's special care and love. 46:09 There is nothing greater than to know His acceptance 46:13 to feel perfectly at home in God's presence 46:19 in His acceptance, His affirmation, His love, 46:25 and that's what Jesus says 46:26 the plan of salvation is all about. 46:29 The plan of salvation 46:30 is God reversing the effects of the fall. 46:36 The plan of salvation is Jesus coming into the world 46:40 to reveal to you and me, a knowledge of God's love, 46:45 His beautiful character of selfless other centered love. 46:49 And then we by faith reaching out 46:53 of our fallen sinful souls, we reach out by faith 46:56 and we say yes to God's love. 47:00 And when we say, yes to God's love 47:02 and we begin that journey with Him. 47:04 It is indeed an endless falling in love 47:09 that begins in the here and now. 47:13 In First John Chapter 5 and verses 13 and 14, 47:16 the apostle of John says, "That we may know 47:20 that we have eternal life in the present tense." 47:25 You see, eternal life is not something that God gives us 47:28 at the end of our journey, because as we've noted 47:32 eternal life is a quality of life, isn't it? 47:35 And because it's a quality of life 47:37 that is defined by knowing God's love 47:40 personally intimately, because that's what eternal life is. 47:44 Listen, it can begin here and now, can't you see that? 47:49 We may know that we have eternal life 47:53 right this very moment, we may know that, 47:56 and how we may know it? 48:03 How may we know that we have eternal life? 48:06 Well by faith to drink in, to accept, 48:10 to feed upon God's love assures us 48:15 that we have eternal life. 48:19 Right at this moment I'd like to invite the ushers 48:23 to cooperate with me in putting a card in your hand. 48:28 And this card is very important, 48:29 because it gives you the opportunity. 48:31 It gives me the opportunity to make a clear declaration 48:37 of our acceptance of God's love. 48:39 And so the ushers are going to quickly 48:42 put this card in your hands and make it available to you. 48:45 If you don't have a pen or a pencil, 48:47 you are going to find pencils with the cards 48:51 and I wanna encourage you to take this card 48:53 and make use of it. 48:55 That you would commit appropriately on this card. 48:59 You will see a place that you can check the appropriate box 49:03 as we've talked today. 49:05 Would you like to check the box there it says 49:09 that I would like to be certain of eternal life? 49:13 Would you like to be certain of eternal life? 49:16 Well I would, and you can be certain of eternal life 49:20 as you receive God's love as it is manifest 49:26 and revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. 49:29 And what a precious privilege that is. 49:33 Would you like a clearer understanding of the Bible 49:36 where you will see two boxes there, 49:38 where you can check that you have an interest 49:40 in having Bible studies? 49:41 They will take you where you need to go 49:45 to drink more deeply of God's love. 49:48 And those Bible studies by the way 49:50 not only are available by this card 49:53 and putting your name, and phone number, 49:55 and address there, so that we can make sure 49:56 you get these free Bible studies. 49:58 But you can also get these Bible studies 50:01 and start right here at these tables, 50:03 there are people who are going to be available 50:05 to help you if you'd like to begin enlarging 50:09 and deepening your knowledge of God's love. 50:13 Finally, as you pass in the cards, 50:15 I want cards, I wanna share with you 50:18 the conclusion of my time with Agita. 50:23 Agita began to realize 50:26 that eternal life is not just living forever 50:29 with a continuation of pain. 50:32 She began to realize that truly eternal life is 50:36 a quality of life that is defined in knowing God. 50:40 loving God and being loved by Him. 50:44 And I am happy to tell you 50:46 that as Agita remember the happy moments of her life, 50:51 and as she realized that eternal life could begin here 50:55 and now by entering in by faith 50:58 to a love relationship with God 51:00 to deep and throughout all the eternity. 51:02 I am happy to tell you that that precious young lady 51:06 there in Latvia who was trying so hard 51:09 not to believe in God deep in her heart 51:12 she was persuaded that God is good 51:15 and right there with me she made a decision 51:19 to begin falling in love with God. 51:22 I wanna encourage you to do the same. 51:25 That you will pause with me right now as we pray 51:28 and that you would say yes to God's love for you. 51:32 Father in heaven, you are truly great Lord. 51:37 You are beautiful beyond compare 51:40 of anything that we see in this world. 51:44 God right now by faith we want to reach out to you 51:49 and receive your love for us. 51:51 And as we do, as we receive Your love for us, 51:54 we ask that it would recreate in us 51:58 that same love that we may in turn love you 52:01 and everyone with whom we have contact in our lives. 52:05 We want to love like you love Father. 52:08 We want to be like you in every possible way. 52:12 Thank you for Jesus, who came from heaven to earth 52:15 and sacrificed his life on the cross 52:18 to demonstrate how truly great and passionate 52:21 Your love is for us. 52:24 Lord, may we turn to you right now 52:27 in the quietness of this moment 52:29 may we each one deep in our heart say 52:31 yes to Your love in Jesus name, amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17