Participants: Ron Halvorsen
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000425
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01:14 The Lord provided for a time For the slaves to be set free
01:20 For the debts to all be canceled 01:23 So His chosen ones could see 01:25 His deep desire was for forgiveness 01:28 He longed to see their liberty And His yearning was embodied 01:34 In the Year of Jubilee Jubilee, Jubilee 01:42 Jesus is the Jubilee Debts forgiven 01:51 Slaves set free Jesus is our Jubilee 02:08 At the Lord's appointed time His deep desire became a man 02:13 The heart of all true jubilation 02:16 And with joy we understand 02:19 In his voice we hear a trumpet sound 02:22 That tells us we are free He is the incarnation 02:27 Of the year of Jubilee "See if you know it" 02:30 Jubilee, Jubilee Jesus is the Jubilee 02:42 Debts forgiven Slaves set free 02:47 Jesus is our Jubilee To be so completely guilty 02:56 Given over to despair To look into your judges face 03:02 And see a Savior there Jubilee, Jubilee 03:11 Jesus is the Jubilee 03:17 Debts forgiven Slaves set free Jesus is our Jubilee 03:49 You can turn these monitors down here off if you want to. 03:52 They're humming pretty loud. 04:04 There sits Simon so foolishly and wise 04:08 proudly he's tending his nets Then Jesus calls 04:14 and the boats drift away all that he owns he forgets 04:21 But more than the nets he abandoned that day 04:25 he found that his pride was soon drifting away 04:29 and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find 04:34 from the things that we leave behind 04:45 And Matthew was mindful of taking the tax 04:49 and pressing the people to pay 04:53 But hearing the call he responded in faith 04:58 And followed the Light and the Way 05:02 And leaving the people so puzzled he found 05:06 the greed in his heart was no longer around 05:10 and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find 05:15 from the things we leave behind 05:20 Every heart needs to be set free 05:24 from possessions that hold it so tight 05:28 'Cause freedom's not found in the things that we own 05:33 It's the power to do what is right 05:38 Jesus our only possession 05:42 then giving becomes our delight 05:46 And we can't imagine the freedom we find 05:52 from the things that we leave behind 06:03 And we show a love for the world in our lives 06:07 by worshiping goods we posses 06:12 But Jesus said lay all your treasures aside 06:16 and love God above all the rest 06:21 'Cause when we say 'no' to the things of the world 06:25 We open our hearts to the love of the Lord 06:29 and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find 06:34 from the things that we leave behind 06:37 Oh, and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find 06:42 from the things that we leave behind 07:19 Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord 07:29 And why did he use a kiss to show them, 07:34 that's not what a kiss is for 07:39 Only a friend can betray a friend, 07:44 a stranger has nothing to gain 07:48 And only a friend comes close enough 07:53 to ever cause so much pain 08:08 And why did there have to be 08:11 a thorny crown pressed upon His head 08:18 It should have been a royal one 08:23 made of jewels and gold instead. 08:28 It had to be a crown of thorns, 08:33 because in this life that we live 08:37 For all who would seek to love 08:41 a thorn is all the world has to give 08:57 And why did there have to be 09:00 a heavy cross he was made to bear 09:07 And why did they nail His feet and hands, 09:12 His love would have held him there 09:17 It was a cross for on a cross, a thief was supposed to pay 09:27 and Jesus had come into the world 09:32 to steal every heart away 09:37 Yes, Jesus had come into the world 09:42 to steal every heart away 10:01 My noticed that all of these songs 10:03 are about the Lord Jesus. 10:04 The reason for that is, 10:05 there is nothing else worth singing about. 10:08 Nobody else worth singing 10:09 to or for or be for or any of those prepositions. 10:14 This is a new song that's from the life of Peter. 10:24 I find it fascinating that two different gospel writers, 10:28 Luke and John, both use a very specific word 10:33 to describe the way that Jesus looks at Simon Peter. 10:38 I find that fascinating. 10:40 This whole song is based on that one word. 10:42 It's not a very pretty word. 10:43 In Greek it's the word "Emblepo," 10:46 not the most lyrical sounding of words. 10:50 It's the word that Jesus, when they translate, 10:54 obviously Jesus didn't speak Greek He spoke Aramaic. 10:56 But when Jesus says, "consider the lilies of the field," 10:59 the word 'consider' is the word Emblepo, 11:01 and Emblepo means, to look at with your mind, 11:04 to really understand what it is you are seeing, 11:08 to consider, to gaze, to look intently at. 11:11 Okay, that's the word. 11:14 John uses it-- The very first time 11:17 Jesus looks Peter in John 1, 11:19 Andrew drags Peter to come and meet Jesus. 11:21 He says, "we found the Messiah." 11:24 And John tells us that Jesus turned and looked, 11:27 and I think NIV says, looked straight at. 11:30 That's really not very good. 11:31 Jesus looked intently at, He gazed at, 11:34 in such a way that He really understood Simon's heart 11:37 and He looked at Simon and He said, 11:39 "You are Simon," present tense. 11:41 He said, "You will be," 11:43 future tense, "Peter the rock." 11:47 The other writer that uses that word is Luke, 11:50 and it's one of the last times they lay eyes on each other, 11:52 it's in Luke 22. 11:54 In a story that I believe 11:55 all the gospel writers knew about 11:57 but only Luke could bring himself to tell it, 12:01 it's about the denials of Peter 12:05 and only Luke tells us that upon his third denial, 12:09 Jesus turned and looked straight at, 12:13 gazed intently at, saw with his mind Simon Peter, 12:18 and it was that gaze, 12:19 it was that look that broke Peter 12:21 and all the gospel writers say, 12:23 he left and he wept bitterly, 12:25 bitterly because of what he done. 12:29 If you think about it, that's how Jesus looks at us, 12:31 those two incidences are wonderful examples. 12:34 Right now where we are, where you sit in your seat 12:37 as even as Jesus looked at Peter and John, 12:39 He sees all your potential, 12:41 He sees everything you're ever going to be or are. 12:45 And as in Luke, he looks at all of us 12:47 and sees the absolute worst. 12:49 He sees each one of us at our worse 12:50 and yet He loves us so much, 12:52 He is willing as He did for Peter to turn 12:54 and go from that place and die for Him 12:57 and for you and for me. 12:59 Do you realize how magnificently 13:01 we are loved by this man, 13:03 and you realize that there is nothing you can do about it. 13:07 There is nothing you can do about it. 13:09 Now, let me say something that's going to 13:10 sound like heresy, 13:11 but don't get your lighters out just yet. 13:17 As you are, just as you are, 13:19 as you sit in that chair right in the Sacramento 13:21 of this present moment. 13:24 If you are caught in some sort of entangled 13:29 and some sort of sin that you're, 13:31 you know, struggling with 13:32 and trying to get out of your life as many 13:35 or most of us are all struggling with. 13:40 You don't have to stop sinning for Jesus to love you. 13:42 I know that sounds like heresy. 13:44 You don't have to stop and once you do stop, 13:47 He's not going to love you more. 13:50 He can't love you more than He loves you right now, 13:51 and He refuses to love you less than 13:53 He loves you right now, 13:55 and you don't have to be good for Jesus to love you. 13:58 He loves you so you can be good, 14:00 that's how it works. 14:01 See, it's not heresy after all. 14:05 Paul tell us that it is His kindness 14:07 that leads us to repentance, 14:09 and you will never know a stronger force 14:10 for changing your life until you realize 14:13 how magnificently He loves you, 14:16 and that there is nothing you can do about it. 14:18 So that's what the song about. 14:20 And the song is not as long as the introduction. 14:33 It was the first time that I heard His voice 14:40 Above the gentle whisper of the sea 14:49 I felt inside that He had made His choice 14:56 And that somehow He had included me 15:04 As I looked upon the open book that was His face 15:12 And read there every comfort from above 15:20 His compassion looked beyond all my disgrace 15:27 And saw someone He could build a kingdom of 15:37 His gaze was kindness but His stare was stone 15:44 Could break your heart and somehow make you whole 15:52 'Cause when He looked at you, 15:55 you felt you were completely known 16:00 Because, you see He saw you with His soul 16:24 Our eyes met once across a barren place 16:31 Where I denied I even knew His name 16:40 What broke my heart was not the look upon His face 16:47 But knowing that He loved me still the same 16:55 It is the very way He looks upon us all 17:03 This moment seeing all that we might be 17:11 And no hint of condemnation can be seen within His eyes 17:19 Because He was condemned for you and me 17:53 Amen, amen. God bless you. 17:59 So happy to have you here tonight, 18:00 you know, you don't really follow that. 18:03 You just try to go in the flow with it, 18:06 and by the way, why I love to hear him 18:08 sing is because he sings about Jesus Christ 18:10 and that's what we want to talk. 18:11 We want to not only sing about God's praise 18:13 and talk about, we want to talk about 18:15 God's praise tonight. 18:16 We want to open God's word. 18:18 So I'm going to ask you to bow your head 18:19 because we want to seek 18:21 the presence of Jesus Christ here. 18:23 God's spirit is going to moved in a mighty way 18:25 we know already what God is going to do. 18:27 Let's bow our heads, now the word of prayer. 18:30 Father God, I pray that 18:32 You'll send your Holy Spirit down upon us. 18:37 Lord, I pray that we might not only listen to the words, 18:42 Michael has sung but we'll feel the Spirit. 18:48 We pray tonight that You will speak to our hearts, 18:51 capture our minds, and O God, 18:53 we pray that we might be moved 18:54 so by the Spirit that we know we've been in house of God, 19:00 and now open your word to us, we pray, in Christ name, amen. 19:08 Amazing, isn't it. 19:10 That people are still talking about Jesus Christ. 19:15 In spite of secularism, in spite of humanism, 19:19 and determinism, and atheism, 19:23 we are still talking about Jesus Christ. 19:27 Amazing, isn't it. 19:29 Even after 2,000 years, people meet Him 19:34 in every conceivable place in the universe, 19:37 every conceivable place around the world. 19:42 Amazing, isn't it? 19:43 Jesus Christ is still the center of our universe. 19:48 Books on our libraries, art adorns our galleries, 19:53 rhymes of music are written all about Him, 19:56 whole radio stations 19:58 are given over to Jesus Christ 24 hours a day. 20:02 They sing about Him, they preach about Him, 20:06 and they honor Him. 20:07 Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, 20:10 Jesus Christ is still being exalted. 20:12 That's mighty truth to know, I mean, Jesus is still alive. 20:18 At this very moment, 20:19 somewhere not only in this place, 20:22 but somewhere around the world 20:24 people are worshiping Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. 20:27 Amazing, in small huts of Africa where I preached. 20:32 In Great Western Europe where I preached, 20:35 I've met people at this very moment 20:37 who are worshiping God and Spirit, 20:39 and worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. 20:41 What other figure in history has so been honored. 20:45 What other figure in history has been 20:47 so revealed and revered as Jesus Christ. 20:50 Philosophies and political schemes 20:53 and religious movements have tried 20:55 and arrayed their power against Him 20:57 but they have failed, 20:58 because Jesus Christ still is unvanquished. 21:01 Jesus Christ is still undefeated. 21:04 Jesus Christ is still unconquerable. 21:07 Can you say amen with me tonight? Amen. 21:10 There is no one anywhere who is foolish enough to say 21:14 that he is impacted our world, 21:16 there's no other personality. That he's impacted our lives. 21:19 He is for real. 21:20 He is the Messiah, our God, 21:22 and in spite of all the criticism 21:25 and in spite of this the misconception about Him, 21:28 and still the mist that surround Him, 21:30 Jesus Christ is real. 21:33 Tonight I want to turn to the scripture, 21:35 I want to show you how real Jesus is, 21:37 and how Jesus impacts our society today, 21:40 and how Jesus Christ can impact your life, 21:42 that you can go away from this place, 21:44 full of Jesus Christ. 21:46 You can go away from this place, 21:47 full of the Holy Ghost and you can go from this place 21:50 revealing Jesus to all those you come in contact. 21:54 Jesus Christ is unique. 21:56 If someone said, Ron Halvorsen, 21:57 what's so different about Jesus Christ? 21:59 I would have to say that, Jesus Christ is unique. 22:04 My Bible, I want to turn 22:05 to the Second Epistle of Corinthians. 22:08 In the Second Epistle of Corinthians Chapter 4, 22:11 I want to read to you about Jesus Christ. 22:13 Notice the Fourth Chapter 22:14 of the Second Epistle of Corinthians. 22:16 Paul is writing to the Church at Corinth, 22:19 "This pagan world surrounding this Godly Church." 22:24 And in the Fourth Chapter and verse 4 through 6, 22:26 the Bible says, "In whom the God of this world 22:29 hath blinded our eyes of them which believe not, 22:32 lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, 22:35 who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 22:37 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord 22:41 and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." 22:45 He says, we do not preach anything but Jesus Christ. 22:48 We don't speak anything but Jesus Christ. 22:50 We don't sing anything but Jesus Christ. 22:54 And then there in Philippians. 22:56 In Philippians, the Second Chapter, 22:58 Philippians in verse 9 and 10, 23:00 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Jesus, 23:04 and given him a name which is above every name, 23:07 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." 23:10 Listen friend we either bow before Jesus now 23:13 or we're going to bow before Jesus at the end of time. 23:16 Well, someday, we're gonna bow before Jesus Christ, 23:19 that's what the scripture says. 23:20 Now it says the name of Jesus and the face of Jesus. 23:25 Jesus is unique, Son of God. 23:28 One word describes Him in scripture. 23:30 He is unique in His origin, Jesus. 23:32 He is unique in His name, Jesus. 23:34 He is unique in the salvation, Jesus. 23:37 And He is unique in his promise, Jesus Christ. 23:39 He is unique in His origin. 23:41 There is no one like Him in history. 23:44 For there never was another who was a human child 23:47 and at the same time, 23:48 was the divine Son of God, never. 23:51 There never was another who was wounded by Satan. 23:54 Who at the same time crushed Satan under his heel, never. 23:59 There never was another. 24:01 There never was another who walked the Earth 24:02 before He was born, never. There never was a mother. 24:06 There never was another who wrote the Lord of God 24:09 with his own finger on Sinai and yet 2,000 years later 24:12 would be called by the Pharisees, 24:14 a commandment breaker. 24:16 There never was another who was King of glory 24:19 and wore no earthly crown but a crown of thorns, never. 24:22 He is unique, Jesus Christ, 24:24 and that's why we exalt Him tonight. 24:26 That's why my dear brother Michael exalted Him in song 24:29 and that's why this humble preacher 24:31 exalts Him in spoken word. Jesus is unique. 24:35 He is unique in His origin. 24:37 There never was another who was called the truth 24:40 and yet at the same time, they called Him a liar, 24:44 a hypocrite, and an impostor, never. 24:48 There was never one who's old as His Heavenly Father yet 24:51 ages older than His earthly Mother Mary, never. 24:55 You see, who scripture says, He was the Creator 24:57 and the Preacher and the Servant, 24:59 and the Savior, never. 25:04 Jesus is unique in His origin. 25:07 My Bible tells me that 25:08 Jesus Christ was not only the Savior 25:10 but Jesus Christ was the Creator, 25:12 which Michael sung about a few moments ago. 25:15 For by Him were all things created that were created. 25:18 Ephesians 3:9 says, 25:19 "who created all things by Jesus Christ," 25:23 it is from the hands of the Jesus Christ 25:26 that all the seas and all the lakes, 25:28 and all the rivers out of the crystal 25:30 chalice of eternity came into existent. 25:32 Jesus brought it into existence. 25:34 Jesus formed the planet. 25:36 It was Jesus that tried and the green grass sprouted, 25:38 and the little flowers blossomed 25:40 and the pine tree pointed his finger to the sky, 25:42 and the oak spread out his arms, 25:44 and lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground, 25:47 and rivers ran down to the sea. 25:49 It was Jesus Christ who called it into existence. 25:52 Can you say, amen to me tonight? Amen. 25:54 All things were made by Him. 25:56 There was not anything made that was not made 25:58 but made by Jesus Christ. 26:00 He made us, and He bought us back again. 26:03 It was He cwho cried I thirst 26:04 and yet the very rain that falls from the heavens, 26:07 and the very dew that comes upon the rose, 26:10 is coming from the spoken word of Jesus Christ. 26:13 Uniquely He is the living water, 26:15 and He is the one who cries. 26:17 It was He who spoke the green grass. 26:19 He is inclusive Jesus Christ. 26:21 I mean, He is inclusive in His origin, 26:24 because of His unique origin, 26:26 He is the sum and solution of all human paradoxes. 26:31 Because of His unique origin, 26:34 He is the end of all of all mysteries. 26:37 Because of His unique origin, 26:39 He is the reason and explanation 26:41 for all enigmas, I mean, He is the only one from eternity 26:45 who was incarnated. 26:47 I mean, born of a virgin, 26:48 birth place dictated by imperial senses, 26:51 birth place predicted by divine prophecy. 26:54 Jesus Christ is unique. 26:56 He is the unique Son of God 26:57 and that's why we worship Him even tonight, 27:00 we worship Him here. 27:02 Jesus Christ unique in His origin. 27:05 My dear friend, He's unique. 27:07 He is unique in every way 27:09 but He is also unique in His name. 27:11 I mean, His name holds variety the name of Jesus. 27:14 It holds proportion in the name of Jesus. 27:16 It holds perfection in the name of Jesus. 27:18 It holds power, the name of Jesus, why? 27:21 Because He is God's purpose consummated Jesus. 27:24 He is God's love eternal dream dramatized Jesus. 27:28 He is just as married to mercy Jesus. 27:31 He is creator wedded to His creation, Jesus. 27:33 And He is our God. He is always the unlike. 27:39 Even His name Emmanuel, 27:41 which we sung about a few moments ago. 27:43 His name Emmanuel describes His unlikeness. 27:46 I went to the alphabet to find the name of Jesus. 27:49 I went to the alphabet to find His name 27:51 and to find His title and to find His position. 27:54 And I discovered that He is the alpha and the Adam, 27:57 and the advocate, and the anointed, 27:59 and the author of faith and the amen of salvation, 28:02 and He is the Ancient of Days. 28:03 I went to the alphabet to find the name of Jesus. 28:06 He was everywhere. 28:07 I mean, He is the beginning and the begotten, 28:09 and the beloved, and the blessed, 28:11 and the branch and the bridegroom, 28:13 and He is the bread of life. 28:16 I went to the alphabet to find His name my Jesus, 28:18 He was everywhere, 28:19 on every page and every paragraph. 28:21 He leaped out at me. 28:22 He is the Creator, and the counselor. 28:24 He is the comforter and the child. 28:26 And he is the cornerstone. 28:27 He is the deliverer and the day star 28:29 and the door and the desire of nations. 28:32 He is the divine Son of God. Amen. 28:35 I went to the alphabet and I found 28:36 and He was everywhere. 28:37 On every page and every, I mean, He leaped out me. 28:40 He is Emmanuel. 28:41 He is elect. He is eternal. 28:42 He is the everlasting one. 28:44 He is Father and Friend, 28:46 you know, and He is the faithful witness. 28:48 He is the governor, 28:50 the guide, and the glorious Lord. 28:54 I went to the alphabet and I found Jesus, 28:55 He was everywhere. 28:57 For He is the husbandman and the help and the holy one 29:00 and horn of salvation and ear of all things 29:03 and He is our heavenly priest 29:05 according to the Book of Hebrews. 29:08 I went to the alphabet to find Jesus, 29:11 and He is unique in His name. 29:14 For He is the immortal. You see, He is the invincible. 29:17 He is the judge and the just and the Jesus 29:19 and He is the Jehovah. 29:21 He is king of glory and king of Israel 29:23 and king of kings. 29:24 He is the light and the life 29:25 and the love and the lion and the lamb. 29:28 He is the law giver. 29:32 I went to the alphabet 29:33 and I found His name my Jesus. 29:35 He was everywhere, on every para I found Him, 29:37 He is the master and the mighty God 29:39 and He is our messiah. 29:40 He is the Omega and He is the only begotten, 29:43 the offering, and the offerer. 29:45 He is the passover and the potentate 29:47 and the prophet and the propitiation 29:49 and the priest, and He is, He is the physician. 29:54 He is to all people all things, Jesus. 29:56 And that's why Michael sings of Him 29:58 and that's why I preach about Him. 30:00 He is the rabbi and the ransom and the righteousness 30:03 and the rest and the root of Jesse, 30:05 and He is the rose of Sharon, and He is the resurrection. 30:08 And I could go on. 30:09 He is ruler and redeemer and He is rock of the ages. 30:12 He is stone and He is Shepherd and He is Son of God, 30:15 and He is the Savior, He is the truth 30:17 and the tabernacle and the testator. 30:19 He is the witness and the word and the way 30:21 and the wisdom of God. 30:22 He is the wonderful and He is your way. 30:26 Give Him praise tonight, He is your way. 30:32 The name above every other name, 30:33 the name of Jesus Christ, He was the perfect son of God. 30:39 We humans born in sin, shaped in iniquity. 30:43 Sinners by birth and by choice and by genetic flaw, 30:46 that there is no such no good in us, 30:49 but that which good comes, 30:51 flows from us is none other than 30:52 the flowing love and blood of Jesus Christ 30:54 that flows through us, who had been born again. 30:57 History shows how short we have fallen from His grace, 31:00 for thousands of years men have tried to be perfect. 31:03 To this imperfection, we've tried to corn God. 31:06 We've tried to snow-job God. 31:08 I mean, with our wit and our charm, 31:11 and our culture and the way we dress 31:14 and our religion and rules and our standards. 31:17 We've acted as if we were somebody when we are nobody. 31:22 How have we played these religious games? 31:26 We prayed and we promised Him and we pleaded with Him 31:28 and prostrated ourselves before Him. 31:31 I mean, but we failed Him. 31:32 You see, history past and present 31:34 proves of our failure. 31:36 Even the holiest of our heroes, even the patriarchs, 31:39 and the prophets and those men in the Old Testament 31:41 and those prophets and priests and patriarchs 31:44 and even the apostles, they've failed us. 31:48 Some of the stories in the Bible 31:50 are more like adventures in Sinbad the sailor, 31:53 than really stories for Vacation Bible School. 31:58 Take a look at that, see them as God sees them. 32:02 I mean, Adam adorned with fig-leaves. 32:07 Stains of forbidden fruit on his lips, 32:09 see him hiding in a perfect garden, 32:11 not so perfect. 32:13 Noah, master boat builder 32:14 but not master of his own habits. 32:16 See Him, as He really is lies drunk and naked before his sons. 32:20 As the days of Noah 32:21 so shall it be in the days of the coming of the son of man. 32:24 I tell you, if you are looking for perfect people 32:26 when He comes, let me tell you, 32:28 wake up and smell the roses. 32:32 A man said to me recently, 32:33 I want to find the perfect church. 32:35 I says, well, when you enter it, 32:36 it won't be perfect any longer. 32:40 Looking for that perfect church. 32:43 Instead of looking 32:44 at the perfect grace of Christ, 32:46 look at the heroes of the Bible, 32:48 I mean, even the Old Testament, 32:49 whenever the Hebrew talked about perfection, 32:51 they talked about Moses. 32:53 Look at him, 32:54 flowing down the staff in a temper tantrum. 32:56 Receiver of the law of God and breaker of the law of God. 33:01 Seeing God's back and doing a few things 33:05 behind God's back, that's Moses. 33:10 I mean, not so perfect, and then there was Aaron, 33:15 right hand man of Moses, I mean, witnessed the plagues. 33:17 He was, on the red sea expedition, 33:19 He was holy priest of God. 33:21 I mean, yet if he's so Holy 33:23 what is he doing leading the Israelites 33:26 at fireside aerobics before a golden calf. 33:31 Not so perfect. 33:33 There was David, man after God's own heart 33:35 but after some other things. 33:38 But there was disgrace and then there was grace. 33:41 Wherever there is disgrace, there is grace. 33:44 In front of it all, 33:47 the pointing finger and forgiveness. 33:52 Now, it's all right in protected 33:53 little Christian communities like this. 33:56 In our air conditioned churches, 33:58 where little people talk about big theology. 34:01 And Sunday or Saturday, 34:02 theologians who sit around blowing bubbles about nothing. 34:06 But out there where I work in the streets, 34:07 in the great cities of the America 34:09 and the cities of the world, and the inner cities 34:11 where I work fighting a war on drugs. 34:13 Listen to me, 34:14 Samson swooning on Delilah's couch, 34:17 drunk with wine and perfume. 34:18 She's leaving the room. 34:19 She's getting into something more comfortable. 34:22 She says, oh, where did I leave those scissors. 34:26 Samson not so perfect, 34:28 I mean, throughout the Old Testament, 34:29 the Old Testament ends in failure. 34:31 The patriarchs can't save us, 34:33 the patriarchs can bring us out of bondage. 34:35 The patriarchs can't save us from our sins. 34:38 The law that was written at Sinai is not enough. 34:41 You see, there needs to be not only the law maker 34:43 but there must be the law keeper 34:45 and the only one was Jesus Christ. 34:47 So Jesus needs to come. 34:48 He enters as the unique Son of God Jesus, 34:51 I mean, this is history now, He is unique in His origin. 34:56 He is unique in His name 34:59 but He is unique in His salvation. 35:01 He enters the world as a baby. 35:04 I mean, that must have been, 35:05 I mean, He must come to the crib 35:07 before He goes to the cross. 35:08 There needs to be a crib before there's a cross. 35:13 Wrapped in swaddling clothes, Jesus. 35:15 When He enters the world 35:16 He is wrapped in swaddling clothes. 35:17 When He leaves the world 35:18 He is wrapped in death clothes. 35:20 And when He comes in power He will be wrapped in a cloud. 35:25 That's Jesus, give Him honor. 35:30 The only way He could save us is to come close to us. 35:33 Don't you understand that the difference 35:35 between all the religions of the world and Christianity. 35:37 As Christianity has its God come up close. 35:40 I mean, He comes as close as He can, 35:42 tempted as we are tempted. 35:43 Yet without sin, He had to feel pain. 35:46 So those who have pain could never say to God, 35:48 what you know about our pain, He became pain for us. 35:52 He needed to be poor 35:53 so that the poor could never say to Christ, 35:55 "What do you know about our poverty?" 35:56 He became poor for us, 35:58 and the sick could never again say to God, 36:00 "God, what do you know about our sickness?" 36:02 He became sick for us, 36:04 and the dying could never look into the face of God and say, 36:07 "Jesus, what do you understand about dying? 36:10 He died for us. 36:15 He comes to a planned rebellion. 36:18 He comes to touch us with His love. 36:21 He enters even after his plan is rebelled, 36:23 I mean, after generations are stripped naked. 36:25 I mean, He enters to save us, wow. 36:31 He enters and what we do? 36:33 Come on now, what we do? 36:36 Like past generations we reject Him. 36:39 We revile him, we revenge Him. 36:44 We strip Him naked and then we lacerate His back. 36:47 We place a crown of thorns upon Him 36:49 and lift the cross where He dies, 36:51 and why does He die? 36:52 Not because we have power over Him 36:55 but because He wants to give us power within us. 37:01 Why does He die? 37:03 Only because He loves and love needs to die. 37:07 God so loved the world 37:09 that He gave his only begotten Son, 37:11 that whosoever believeth on him should not perish 37:12 but have everlasting, that's why. 37:16 He gave Himself fully in his death 37:19 and He forever proves that He loves us. 37:22 And by the way, the value of the gift 37:26 is in the love of the giver. 37:29 Well, my little girl, 37:30 she is 6 foot now and a preacher, 37:32 but when she was a little girl, 37:34 there was a law in our house. 37:36 And the law said, when daddy was in his study, 37:38 studying the word of God 37:40 that you were not to disturb him. 37:42 I mean, it was set in concrete. 37:46 I mean, it was ruled by the rod. 37:51 That was the law. 37:52 One day, I was studying and the door was partly opened, 37:55 I heard a noise at the door 37:56 and I turned and looked and it was Diane. 37:58 She was peaking in the door, beautiful blue eyes, 38:01 sparkling and blonde hair flexing in the light 38:06 and I said, Diane, and with that she remembered the law. 38:10 And so she started to run. 38:12 And I said, Diane, stop, and she stopped. 38:15 That was in the days they stopped. 38:20 And she turned around 38:21 and she came as far as the door 38:23 and I said, "honey, come in." 38:25 And where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, 38:28 So she bounded in. 38:31 And she said, "daddy, I have a gift for you." 38:36 I said, "A gift" I said, "Let me have it." 38:39 She said, "no, guess." 38:42 I see there are some parents out there, guess. 38:45 And so she wanted to play the game with me 38:47 and so I decided, well, I'll play the game. 38:51 So I, I said, "is it a new boat, Honey? 38:55 She giggled and laughed. 38:56 She said, "no, daddy." 38:58 And so I went on and she went on, 39:00 and finally I couldn't stand it any longer. 39:04 I said, "honey, give me the gift." 39:08 For the value of the gift is in the love of the giver. 39:13 And she took it out and it was a picture, 39:18 a picture of a lamb made from noodles. 39:23 A noodle lamb. 39:26 I took it, I ran over 39:30 and took my most expensive Kmart painting off the wall, 39:36 and I put up the little picture 39:37 of the lamb made of noodles, and people would come 39:40 and they'd look at it strangely 39:41 and I'd say, I'd say, that's my daughter's, 39:45 then they understood. 39:46 You see the value of the gift is in the love of the giver. 39:50 The value of the gift, 39:52 no one else loved quite like Jesus Christ, why? 39:55 Because no one else cared quite like Jesus Christ. 39:58 Humanity, what losers we are. 40:01 We promise Him so much and give Him so little. 40:05 We promise Him our allegiance 40:07 until someone else comes along, 40:09 and we give Him nothing but our anger, 40:13 and yet He still loves us. 40:15 We say, we shall serve Him and we serve only ourselves, 40:21 and yet He still loves us. 40:23 We say, we'll die for Him, 40:26 and we don't even live for Him, 40:31 and He still loves us. 40:33 And that is why Jesus Christ is unique, 40:35 and that is why the Savior is so special, 40:40 and that is why when a gang leader 40:41 in Brooklyn, New York, 40:42 switchblade in my pocket, looked up to heaven. 40:45 Felt His touch, then I followed Him. 40:49 And that is why salvation 40:51 is so wonderful to me even tonight. 40:53 In old pagan religions 40:54 you see they strive for human perfection, 40:57 and that happens even in a church. 41:00 They work to obtain it. 41:04 You see in our religion He is the instigator. 41:06 I was sharing faith with a Muslim woman once. 41:09 She said, our religion is much like yours. 41:12 I guess she got a hold of a Christian 41:13 that had a lot of standards and lot of rules, 41:16 and she said we don't smoke, 41:17 we don't drink, we don't, don't, don't, don't-- 41:21 And I said, our religion is much different thing than yours. 41:23 She said, well, if you can show me 41:25 I'll become a Christian, 41:26 now that's a challenge for any believer. 41:29 And so I said this, I said, sister, 41:33 in your religion you go to the temple to find God. 41:39 In my religion, 41:41 He came to a tenement to find me. 41:47 In your religion, you say your prayers. 41:50 In your religion, if you do enough good things 41:52 you finally come to your state of blissfulness, 41:54 your state of blessedness, but in my religion, 41:57 Jesus has done enough things 41:59 to get me to his heaven, hallelujah, amen. 42:03 She said, it is different. 42:05 Tell me more, and I shared the gospel, 42:10 and the woman received Christ as her Savior. 42:12 I'll tell you, it is different. 42:14 He offers us salvation, 42:16 I mean, He is the initiator of grace. 42:18 It is unmerited giving, you don't deserve it, 42:22 you don't earn it, 42:23 God did not put a down payment on your salvation, 42:26 He paid the price fully at Calvary 42:29 when he died to save you from your sins. 42:33 You can't buy it by money or will power. 42:40 It's always in every gift, 42:41 for the value of the gift is in the love of the giver, 42:45 not the receiver. 42:47 That's why He said in Ephesians 2 verse 8 and 9 42:50 that salvation is a gift. 42:53 Grace is God's unmerited giving, 42:55 I mean, He is unique in that salvation. 42:57 Faith is our merited response to that unmerited giving 43:01 and that brings us to a promise. 43:03 He is not only unique in His origin. 43:05 He's not only unique, not only unique in His name, 43:08 not only unique in His salivation, 43:10 but He is unique in His promise. 43:12 I will put enmity between thee and the woman, 43:15 between thy seed and her seed, 43:17 it shall bruise thy heel, but thou shalt bruise, 43:20 Crush the promise of a redeemer. 43:28 He made a promise to Adam, I'm with you always. 43:34 He made a promise to Noah. 43:37 And He wrote it in a rainbow coalition in the sky. 43:41 He made a promise, 43:44 and when we break our promises, 43:46 Jesus Christ doesn't break His. 43:48 Can you say amen here tonight? Amen. 43:50 When you break it, He doesn't break it, 43:53 and when we forget He doesn't forget. 43:54 And when we give up on ourselves 43:56 He doesn't give up on us, He is unique. 43:58 When Moses said, here am I, send Aaron. 44:05 He didn't give up-- 44:07 And when Samson whispered to Delilah and Saul 44:11 rode against David, 44:12 and David schemed against Uriah. 44:14 And God didn't give up when Peter denied his Lord. 44:21 And when John and James fought for position, 44:25 when Judas kissed the kiss of death. 44:28 Two men died on a tree that day, 44:30 Christ on the tree of sacrifice, 44:32 Judas on the tree of shame, behold Judas hanging. 44:39 The Pilate washed his hands of him. 44:42 God do not give up. 44:44 Listen to me, listen carefully, this truth is eternal. 44:52 God would give up his only son 44:56 before he would give up on you. 45:00 The promise is made, the promise is kept. 45:06 He enters our world through the backdoor, 45:08 listen, amid strife and terror. 45:10 Amazing, local politics determined 45:13 where he would spend his early years in Egypt. 45:15 He stoops low to a stable. 45:17 He turned to his embryo in the womb of virgin. 45:20 If you preexisted your mother 45:22 what kind of mother would you choose. 45:26 And he picked up. 45:30 And nine long months she held him in her womb. 45:36 I mean. 45:40 The life lived a perfect life. 45:47 I mean, without spot, 45:48 without blemish and atoning death, 45:53 a resolution or a resolute resurrection. 45:56 I mean, the womb of Mary in incarnation. 45:58 Now the womb of Mother Earth in redemption. 46:00 You see the first Adam in the garden 46:02 is wounded in his side 46:04 and there comes forth the first Eve, 46:05 and now the second Adam 46:07 is wounded in his side at cavalry, 46:08 and there comes forth blood and water, 46:11 and the new Eve, the church of Jesus Christ. 46:18 And he makes a promise, 46:22 "I am with you always." 46:30 Hey, when times get hard, listen to me, look to Jesus. 46:35 When people don't listen and don't care, look to Jesus. 46:43 Listen to me, when tears come 46:50 and won't stop, look to Jesus. 46:55 For He is unique in His love, look to Jesus. 47:03 When I was a little boy growing up in Brooklyn, 47:07 I always wanted to go fishing, 47:09 I loved fishing, I still love fishing. 47:12 I come home from fishing now, my wife says, catch any? 47:15 I say, no, honey, that's another sport, 47:16 but anyway I love fishing. 47:20 And I always want to go to fishing, 47:22 and my dad was an alcoholic at the time. 47:26 And he promised me but break the promises. 47:31 And always asking, dad, can I go fishing? 47:34 And one Saturday morning I was sleeping in my bed, 47:37 which was Billy's bed, in which was Warren's bed. 47:40 My room which was Billy's bed, 47:42 Billy's room and Warren's room and Richard's room, 47:45 and Elliot's room and -- I was awaken. 47:51 My dad said, we're going fishing. 47:54 Do you think he had to force me out of bed? 48:00 I jumped, landed in my sneakers. 48:06 We got on the bus in Coney Island 48:07 went out to Sheepshead Bay. 48:09 My dad had to rent the boat, a little row boat, 48:12 I mean, a little one with a little tiny motor on it. 48:14 He had to even rent the fishing poles, 48:18 but I went fishing, got in the boat, 48:22 out around the point out in Atlantic Ocean. 48:26 I was so excited, I mean, can you imagine 48:29 I was so excited all this time asking him, 48:32 take me fishing, 48:33 and now here I am, I'm fishing, not catching. 48:39 And a storm came up, 48:42 clouds and wind and rain and, 48:47 I would look at my father, 48:48 my father, by the way, Halvorsen means something, 48:50 it's Norwegian, I mean, he's a Norski and, 48:53 you know, I mean, they're great seafarers, 48:55 so I wasn't too frighten by it. 48:56 My dad was in the boat, Halvorsen. 49:04 But I look at the storm, 49:08 rain, my little lip started quivering 49:11 and the storm was beginning to run. 49:15 I started to cry but, 49:16 you know, the rain in my face had hid them, 49:21 then I looked at my dad and serene face. 49:25 Everything under control, my dad, Bill Halvorsen. 49:32 You know, I learned something in the boat. 49:35 I learned if I would look at the father's face, 49:41 that I would have peace in a storm. 49:46 Finally my dad said, son, pull up the anchor. 49:51 We're going home, He found his way. 49:58 God knows the way. 50:01 In the storm of life, when things batter you, 50:06 when the winds beat down on you, 50:10 when you wonder 50:11 why bad things come to good people, in the storm, 50:17 look in the face of Jesus, 50:20 for He knows the way. 50:23 And he said, 50:25 "I will come to get you and lead you home." 50:34 Father, we art in heaven, I thank You for that promise. 50:40 To every man, woman and child here tonight 50:42 that promise is made. 50:45 You've never reneged on your promise, not once. 50:52 I pray that we might here in this place, accept it. 50:58 Open our hearts to it, 51:03 with every head bowed and every eye closed, 51:07 is there a storm in your life, 51:11 I mean, is there some wave of adversity 51:13 so big it's bigger than you or your little boat, 51:18 and you will need peace. 51:22 Would you just slip up your hand 51:23 and let me pray for you right now. 51:25 Is there a storm in your life, lift up your hand, 51:28 let me pray for you here, hold up your hand. 51:31 Is there a burden in your life that you need lifted? 51:33 Is there a problem? 51:34 Is there a sin, a habit, something so great, 51:36 you seem to be going down and sinking 51:38 but you wanna lift up your hand. 51:45 Father, You see those hands, God bless them. 51:48 While their heads are bowed, and their eyes are closed, 51:50 I want the ushers to come 51:51 and I want them to pass out a little pray request. 51:54 I believe in the power of prayer, 51:55 I finish a book called 51:56 "Prayer Warfare" "Prayer Warrior," 51:59 it's about prayer 52:00 and we're praying for you people every night. 52:01 We give out a prayer request card, 52:03 we're gonna do that with your heads bowed, 52:04 quietly just take it. 52:07 I want you to take that card right now 52:08 as they pass it out. 52:09 I want you to pick up the card, 52:11 just pass it through. 52:16 We're gonna ask Michael to come and sing for us now. 52:20 And I want you to think about this card. 52:22 I want you to think about the request on this card, 52:24 look it over carefully and prayerfully. 52:27 And I want you to just take that card in your hand 52:29 and I want you to put that, I have problem with, 52:32 and you don't have to write the problem down, 52:34 but you have a problem. 52:35 I have loved ones 52:36 that are not ready for Jesus to come, not saved, 52:38 and I like to give me heart to Jesus. 52:40 I would like to know more about God's will for your life. 52:43 Would you just take time and we're gonna pray, 52:45 we have prayer warriors already here in this place, 52:47 that are praying for you. 52:48 Every name that I get from this, 52:50 they're going to make the list of them. 52:51 I'm gonna bring it with me and pray. 52:54 I have thousands, tens of thousands 52:55 of Prayer Warriors around the world 52:57 that are praying intercessory 52:58 pray for many women, their needs. 53:01 Maybe a health problem, it's bigger than you. 53:04 So just pass it out, 53:05 friend, we're not gonna collect them yet. 53:06 We're just passing them out, 53:08 Everybody person just pass it through, 53:10 take a card, 53:11 Michael, God bless you as you sing to God's glory. 53:31 Remember to love one another 53:39 And do what is pleasing to him 53:47 Be strengthened by grace 53:51 And worship in reverence and awe 53:57 The God of peace And grace be with you all 54:11 And may the great shepherd of the sheep 54:19 Equip you with good things for doing his will 54:27 And grace be with you all 54:47 Forget not the suffering of Jesus 54:55 And bear the disgrace that he bore 55:03 Confessing His name 55:07 For Christ is the same yesterday 55:13 Today and forever And grace be with you all 55:27 And may the great shepherd of the sheep 55:36 Equip you with good things for doing his will 55:44 And grace be with you all 56:12 And grace be with you all. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17