Participants: David Asscherick
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000554
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01:00 I'm thrilled that you have chosen to attend this seminar.
01:04 It will be a seminar and I hope that you will be blessed. 01:07 I trust that you will. 01:09 And I'm really looking forward to the messages 01:11 that we will present just now. 01:13 Before we commence though, 01:14 I'd like to have a word of prayer 01:15 with you and just ask 01:18 the Spirit of God to be with us 01:19 and to speak right to our hearts. 01:25 Father, in heaven, 01:28 we are gathering together 01:30 just now as men, as leaders. 01:35 Father, we didn't ask to be born as men. 01:40 This is something that You and Your sovereign 01:42 will have seen fit for us to be. 01:46 And, Father, we freely confess 01:47 that we are not worthy to be the leaders 01:49 You have called us to be. 01:52 And yet, Father, we have a sense 01:54 that because of Christ 01:56 and through Christ all things are possible. 02:01 And so, Father, we pray now 02:02 that as we get back to the basics, 02:04 as we long to investigate 02:06 and to inculcate real religion. 02:11 We pray that Your Holy Spirit 02:13 would come and speak to our hearts. 02:17 Father, may the spirit that inspired the scriptures 02:22 now become the spirit 02:23 that instructs in the scriptures. 02:28 Father, I pray also, for every other seminar, 02:31 please be with the presenters and the hearers. 02:35 And may minds be opened, may hearts be malleable, 02:39 and may eternal decisions be made for Christ 02:43 and for His kingdom. 02:45 Be with us now, Father, 02:47 as we study in Jesus' name. Amen. 02:53 All right, I want you to stand up. 02:55 Stand up with me. 02:59 I want you to turn to the personon your right 03:01 and I want you to say to them, 03:02 there's not enough time to get it all done. 03:09 I want you to turn to the person 03:11 on the other side and say, 03:12 there is not enough time to get it all done. 03:18 Now I want you to look up to the God of Heaven 03:21 and just say, Lord there is not 03:23 enough time to get it all done. 03:29 Now do you believe that? Have a seat. 03:34 Have you ever been to a time management seminar? 03:38 Anybody here ever been to a time management seminar? 03:41 Those time management seminars proceed on the notion 03:44 that there is enough time in the day 03:47 to get everything done, 03:48 that you need to get done. 03:49 You just need to organize 03:51 and prioritize yourself in such a way 03:52 that you can get it all done. 03:55 This seminar entitled "Real Religion, 03:58 getting back to the basics," 03:59 will proceed on exactly the opposite premise. 04:02 I do not believe there is enough time to get it all done. 04:06 Imagine, how long you would have to stay at home 04:10 in order to do everything 04:11 you ever wanted to do with your children, 04:13 to be everything to your children 04:14 that you want to be, that you need to be, 04:16 and to be everything to your wife 04:19 that you want to be, that you need to be. 04:20 How much time would you have to spend at home? 04:26 Now imagine with me, similarly, 04:30 in order to accomplish all of the things, 04:33 if you're an independent businessman 04:34 that you want to personally accomplish in your business, 04:37 or if you're under the employee of somebody else 04:40 to accomplish all of the things, to reach all of the goals, 04:43 to attain of the aspirations that your boss has for you. 04:46 To make all of the return phone calls, 04:48 to answer all of the emails, 04:50 to get to all of the voice messages 04:51 that you want to get to and to be everything 04:53 that your job expects of you. 04:56 How much time would you have to spend at work? 05:00 Yeah, you're all murmuring cause you know. 05:03 Now imagine that you're going to get everything done 05:06 that your Pastor really wants you to get done in church, 05:08 or if you are a Pastor, you're going to get everything done 05:10 in church that is expected of you. 05:13 Everything. Your Pastor wants you 05:15 to help with this, and he wants you to assist with this, 05:17 and you're the leader in this area. 05:19 All the things that you want to get done in church, 05:22 in ministry, and in your own personal outreach to others, 05:26 you're going to get all of that done as well. 05:28 Now remember, you're also going to be the father 05:31 that you have to be, doing all of the things 05:33 that you want to do and wish you could do with your children, 05:35 be the husband, all of the things 05:37 that you want to do and wish you could do with your wife, 05:39 and all of the that you want to do 05:41 and wish you could do for your job. 05:43 How much time do you need 05:45 to get all of those things accomplished? 05:50 You think there's enough time to get it all done? 05:54 Friends, listen to me, there is 05:55 not enough time to get it all done. 05:58 You need to settle that in your mind, right now. 06:01 I do not believe that the premise 06:04 upon which many of these Time Management 06:06 seminars proceed, mainly this, 06:08 there is enough time in the day to get it all done. 06:10 You just have to prioritize and work your schedule out, 06:14 and put emphasis on the important things, 06:16 and deemphasize on the non-important things, 06:18 but it can be done if you just become very systematic 06:21 and methodical about your schedule. 06:23 I do not believe that. 06:27 I am firmly convinced that 06:29 there is not enough time to get it all done. 06:34 Now consider with me that Christianity 06:39 is like Mathematics, right? 06:42 You've taken a Mathematics course, haven't you? 06:43 Sometime in your life. 06:47 Mathematics is an interesting discipline 06:49 for the following reason, 06:51 at least for the following reason. 06:54 In order to proceed into the more advanced 06:58 and more sophisticated disciplines of Mathematics 07:01 say Algebra or Probability and Statistics, 07:04 Topology other kinds of advanced, 07:06 more sophisticated kinds of Mathematics. 07:08 It is absolutely essential that you not lose 07:12 sight of the basics of Mathematics 07:15 namely Arithmetic, the Timetables addition, 07:17 division, subtraction, etc. 07:20 Does that make sense, yes or no? 07:22 In other words, as you advance, 07:24 as you learn Algebra and Calculus and beyond, 07:26 you'll never stop using the basic things. 07:29 In fact there's more sophisticated 07:32 kinds of Mathematics will actually be impossible 07:35 if you lose sight of the basics. 07:39 I fear that for many of us, 07:44 we are desiring to advance into great 07:47 and high and lofty spiritual ministerial, 07:51 you name it religious realms, 07:53 but we have forgotten the basics. 07:58 Similarly, consider this analogy. 08:01 A building can only be as strong 08:04 as its smallest component is strong. 08:08 Okay, so this building, say it's made of bricks, 08:11 if the individual bricks are weak, 08:14 everyone of those individual 08:15 bricks is itself structurally comprised. 08:19 Can the structure, the building be strong 08:21 if the individual things that make it up are not strong? 08:24 Can that happen, yes or no? No, it's impossible. 08:28 In order for a building to be strong 08:29 the basic components must be strong. 08:34 Even the keenest mind that develops 08:36 the most sophisticated and well thought 08:39 piece of architecture, even these great 08:42 and lofty and very artistic and structurally 08:44 sound buildings, all of them are built 08:46 with very simple materials 08:50 bricks, wood, nails and screws. 08:56 And no matter how keenly designed 08:58 the building is if the blocks that make 09:01 that building up are not been so sound, 09:03 if the basic building blocks are not themselves strong, 09:06 the building no matter how keenly 09:08 designed will not be strong. 09:11 Are you comfortable with this idea, yes or no? 09:14 So whether in Mathematics or in Architecture, 09:17 the basics are essential. 09:20 If you forsake the basics in Mathematics, 09:22 you can never responsibly 09:24 advance into the more advanced themes. 09:27 If you forsake the basics in Architecture 09:29 and design a very sophisticated building, 09:31 you cannot make that building structurally sound 09:33 if the blocks that constitute the infrastructure 09:36 of that building are not themselves sound. 09:42 This seminar is going to proceed on several 09:44 very important premises and the first one, 09:47 the first two actually we have already introduced to you 09:50 and that is there is not enough time to get it all done. 09:55 Settle that in your mind, right now. 09:58 We will develop that thought more in a moment. 10:00 Secondarily, we will proceed on the premise 10:04 that if we are not strong in the basics, 10:08 we will never be able to advance to the higher 10:11 and more sophisticated realms of anything in life, 10:14 much less, spiritual things. 10:18 So in order to keep this seminar very simple, 10:20 they are whateveryone? Simple. Very simple. 10:23 In order to get back to the basics 10:25 to have an encounter with real religion, 10:28 we're going to ask and answer 10:29 just two questions, very simple. 10:32 How many questions, everyone? 10:34 Two questions, the first question is, what is the Gospel? 10:39 That's the first question 10:41 that we're going to ask and answer. 10:43 What is, the what everyone? 10:46 The Gospel. 10:47 The second question that we're going to ask 10:49 and answer is what is a relationship? That's it. 10:55 If we get this done in 30 minutes, 10:56 then we'll wrap it up in 30 minutes and go home, 10:58 but that is the whole purpose of this seminar 11:00 is to answers these two questions. 11:02 Question number one, what is it everyone? 11:05 Gospel. What is the Gospel? 11:06 And question number two, what is it? 11:08 Relationship. 11:09 What is a relationship? 11:13 Friends, if we fail in the basics, we fail. 11:19 You get that. 11:21 If we fail in the basics, we fail. 11:26 Let's begin by answering the question, 11:27 what is the Gospel? 11:29 Go with me to Romans Chapter 1, 11:30 Romans Chapter 1. 11:35 Romans Chapter 1. 11:36 Now the etymology of the word Gospel 11:38 is really quite interesting. 11:41 The word Gospel is transliterated 11:42 from the Greek word 'euangelion,' euangelion. 11:47 And this word came into popular vernacular, 11:50 into popular parlance probably about three centuries 11:53 before the time of Jesus, 11:55 when Greek speaking people 11:56 had immigrated to the North of Africa. 11:59 Okay, so you had Greek speaking people 12:00 living along the North shore of the African coast. 12:03 And these are people that had emigrated from Southern Europe, 12:06 Greece, Macedonia and other places. 12:08 And during the seasons, the dry season, 12:11 the wet season, the drought season, 12:13 the rainy years on and off, 12:14 it would become necessary that ships from the land 12:20 that they had left, would bring wares, 12:22 and foods, and merchandise, 12:23 and even mail and messages from the former land. 12:26 And as these people 12:28 that were living there along the coast, 12:29 as they would look out on the ocean there, 12:31 looking Northward from the North African coast, 12:34 as they would look out 'and would see a ship 12:36 appear on the horizon 12:37 they would shout euangelion, euangelion. 12:43 And the word meant good news, glad tidings, 12:49 good publications something that is needful, 12:52 something that is necessary has come from a land afar. 12:56 And so that cry would ring out throughout the earth, 12:58 euangelion, euangelion, 13:00 and it would go all the way back, 13:01 even to the peoples who were living further in inland, 13:04 further away from the coast, euangelion, euangelion. 13:07 And people knew a ship was coming 13:09 that was bringing important goods. 13:10 A ship was coming that was bringing merchandise, 13:12 some mail or food, whatever it might be, 13:14 it meant good tidings has come from a land afar. 13:21 And so too, when Mathew, Mark, Luke 13:23 and John began to employ this terminology euangelion. 13:26 Jesus Himself employed this term. 13:30 In the common vernacular, 13:32 what that word meant was good news. 13:36 Good, what everyone? 13:37 And more specifically, 13:39 good news has come from a land afar. 13:45 What is the Gospel? Romans 1:1, 13:48 we're going to be exceedingly simple in this seminar. 13:51 We're going to strive for simplicity. 13:55 Roman 1:1, who wrote the book of Romans? 13:59 Paul, its right there, isn't it? 14:01 "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, 14:03 called to be an apostle, 14:06 separated to the Gospel of God" 14:11 separated to the what everyone? 14:13 To the Gospel, to the euangelion, 14:15 to the Gospel of God, to the good news of God. 14:18 So Paul begins this queen of his epistles by saying, 14:21 I'm Paul, the apostle, 14:24 separated as an apostle to the Gospel of God. 14:29 And notice verse 2, "Which he promised 14:33 before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures." 14:36 Now verse 2 functions essentially 14:39 as a prepositional phrase. 14:42 As a what did I say, everyone? Prepositional phrase, 14:45 now how many of you remember grammar class or English class? 14:48 Do you remember what a prepositional phrase is? 14:50 It's very easy to understand. 14:53 It's easily illustrated, if I take this microphone 14:56 I could say something like the mike is there, 15:00 the microphone is there. 15:01 Is that a sentence, yes or no? Yeah, that is a sentence. 15:04 It has all of the necessary components of a sentence. 15:07 The microphone is there. So you have the noun, 15:09 you have the object, it's all there. 15:11 The microphone is there, but if I take the microphone 15:13 and I set it on this chair and then I say 15:16 the microphone is there on the chair. 15:20 On the chair is a prepositional phrase. 15:24 On the chair is a what, everyone? 15:26 A prepositional phrase. 15:27 Now follow this very carefully. 15:29 A prepositional phrase is that which modifies 15:33 something in a sentence, but it's not itself necessary 15:36 to the structure of the sentence. 15:38 So for example, I can say the microphone is there 15:41 and that's a sentence that stands on its own, 15:43 or I can add the prepositional modifier, 15:45 the microphone is there, on the chair. 15:48 On the chair can be removed from the sentence 15:51 and the sentence still stands on its own, 15:53 but if you include it in the sentence 15:55 it adds an additional modifying element. 15:58 Does that make sense, yes or no? 15:59 That's a prepositional phrase. 16:01 Now verse 2 in Romans 1, 2 16:04 and 3 basically functions as a prepositional phrase. 16:08 Okay, look at it again there. 16:10 At the end of verse 1, he says 16:11 "Separated to the Gospel of God" 16:13 and then here's your prepositional phrase verse 2, 16:16 "Which he promised before through 16:18 his prophets in the Holy Scriptures". 16:21 When Paul adds that basically what he's doing is, 16:23 he's modifying the Gospel. 16:25 He's just letting you know that the Gospel 16:26 didn't just appear in a vacuum, 16:28 the Gospel didn't just appear in some 16:30 sort of a vacuum or situation. 16:31 The Gospel was the logical outworking 16:33 of the Messianic identity of Jesus 16:36 from the Old Testament scriptures. 16:39 But here's the point verse 2, 16:41 can basically be removed at least temporarily 16:45 so that we can keep the continuity of thought 16:47 from verse 1 right into verse 3. 16:49 Okay. Now watch this, 16:51 what we're going to do is read verse 1, 16:53 we're going to leave out verse 2 temporarily, 16:55 what it says is very important 16:57 but we're just going to remove it temporarily. 16:58 So that we lose that modifying element 17:01 and we're going to go right into verse 3. 17:03 Okay, listen to it. 17:05 "Paul, a bond servant of Jesus Christ, 17:08 called to be an apostle, 17:11 separated to the Gospel of God 17:13 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord," 17:19 or you could render it this way, 17:21 "Separated unto the Gospel of God 17:24 which concerns Jesus Christ our Lord." 17:29 For the Apostle Paul the Gospel was that 17:33 which concerned who, everyone? 17:35 Jesus Christ our Lord. 17:37 Do you see how you remove verse 2, 17:39 you remove that modifying sentence there. 17:41 It's not that it's important, it's very important. 17:42 But you remove that and you can see how it is, 17:45 that Paul defines the Gospel. 17:49 Verse 1, "I'm Paul, the apostle, 17:51 separated to the Gospel of God, 17:52 which concerns Jesus Christ", 17:55 and this is the first point you've got to get. 18:00 The Gospel is that 18:03 which concerns a person. 18:07 The Gospel is that which concerns what did I say, 18:10 everyone? And who is that person? 18:13 Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 18:15 Now I want to emphasize that, 18:16 for Paul the Gospel was that 18:19 which concerned a person, 18:22 which concerned a what? 18:23 A person and now you say, but we know this. 18:25 Yeah, this is basic stuff. 18:28 Follow this more carefully. 18:30 Go with me to First Corinthians 15. 18:32 Okay, stay right here in the New Testament. 18:33 Go to First Corinthians 15. 18:37 Now who wrote First Corinthians? 18:39 Who wrote First Corinthians? 18:40 Paul, I was having trouble hearing you there. 18:43 Beginning in verse 1, First Corinthians 15:1 18:46 remember we are asking and answering the question, 18:49 what is the Gospel? That's the question 18:53 that we're seeking to answer. 18:54 What is the Gospel? First Corinthians Chapter 15, 18:58 beginning in verse 1, 19:01 "Moreover, brethren I declare to you,"the what everyone? 19:07 "The Gospel which I preached to you, 19:09 which you also received and in which you stand". 19:12 All Paul is saying here is hey, when I was with you, 19:15 I was preaching the Gospel and that the Gospel 19:17 that if you stand in it, it will save you. 19:19 Look at verse 2, verse 2 of First Corinthians 15, 19:22 "By which also you are saved, if you hold fast 19:25 that word which I preached to you 19:27 unless you believed in vain." 19:29 Okay, so verses 1 and 2, all Paul is saying is hey, 19:31 when I was with you I preached the Gospel, 19:33 this is the Gospel that will save you if you hold on. 19:37 Now if I begin to sing this song, 19:41 you tell me if you could finish it 19:43 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow 19:48 Join me, Praise Him, 19:50 all Creatures Here below 19:53 What are you singing? What are you singing? 19:57 You're singing the doxology. 19:59 Now by raising of hands, be honest. 20:03 Who is in this room, knows what a doxology is? 20:05 Raise your hands. 20:07 You know what that word means? We got one, anybody else? 20:12 Isn't this remarkable? Every Sabbath 20:16 we sing the doxology 20:18 and one in 300 know what it means. 20:22 Does that strike you, is a little strange? 20:25 You know, I love to sing, don't you? 20:28 I said I love to sing, don't you? 20:31 Amen! And one of my favorite hymns is 20:32 "Come thou fount of every blessing". 20:34 You like that hymn? And I love that line it says, 20:38 Here I raise mine Ebenezer 20:42 Hither by thy help I'm come 20:45 Now have you ever sung that before, yes or no? 20:48 Okay, you know what an Ebenezer is? 20:52 How many people by raising of hands, 20:53 know what an Ebenezer is? 20:55 Oh, wow, the numbers are increasing dramatically. 20:57 We're up to about 10. 21:00 Isn't it interesting, that we participate in a significant 21:03 amount of religiosity that we do not have 21:05 a clue of what we are doing? Amen to that one. 21:08 You're getting quiet now because you're nervous. 21:11 An Ebenezer friends, and Ebenezer was the stone 21:14 that Samuel erected when he told the children of Israel, 21:17 hey God has lead us this far, 21:20 it's a stone that you raise in your life 21:21 that says God lead me this far 21:24 and he's not going to leave me alone to perish. 21:26 Amen! That's an Ebenezer. 21:27 Now a doxology even though we sing it every Sabbath 21:31 and only one of us claims to know what it is. 21:33 A doxology is a succinct statement of belief 21:39 that is crafted for the purposes 21:41 of memorization, okay. 21:44 A doxology is a succinct statement of belief 21:48 that is crafted for the purposes of memorization. 21:53 Does that make sense, yes or no? 21:55 So a doxological statement is a statement 21:58 that is made in order to teach something. 22:02 In order to what? Teach. 22:03 Teach. So for example, 22:05 we could jus jettison the seminar. 22:06 We could say okay, I changed my mind 22:07 I'm not going to deliver the seminar 22:09 I've got a better idea. 22:10 Let's all come up with a doxology, okay. 22:13 And you and I today, right now, 22:14 we could come up with a one or two 22:16 or a three sentence doxology like 22:18 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow 22:19 Praise him, all creatures here below 22:21 Praise him above, the heavenly host 22:22 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 22:24 So what we're saying is, that's what we belief. 22:25 That's a succinct statement 22:27 about what we believe about God. 22:29 Does that make sense, yes or no? 22:30 And doxologies are frequently sung, 22:33 they are easy to memorize, they are frequently sung, 22:36 they are a brief statement of what we believe. 22:39 Now here's why I'm telling you this, 22:41 in First Corinthians 15:1 and 2 Paul says hey, 22:43 I'm preaching the Gospel to you, 22:45 this is the Gospel that will save you, 22:46 if you stand in the Gospel. 22:48 And then most Bible expositors virtually, 22:50 all Bible expositors agree that what Paul does in verse 3 22:54 is he introduces an early Christian doxology. 23:01 In other words, what you find 23:02 in the latter half of verse 3 and all of verse 4 23:05 and part of verse 5 is not, 23:07 listen carefully, original with Paul. 23:10 This is not something that Paul wrote. 23:12 Paul here is quoting an earlier doxological statement, 23:17 that is to say a brief succinct statement of what 23:20 it meant to be a Christian in the early years. 23:24 Some scholars traced this doxological statement 23:27 to within five years of the crucifixion event, 23:31 five years of the crucifixion event. 23:33 That's why Paul says look at there in verse 3, 23:35 "For I delivered to you first of all 23:38 that which I also received;" 23:41 colon, is that what your Bible has there, yes or no? 23:47 Does your Bible have a colon there, yes or no? 23:49 Yeah, the New King James Bible has a colon, 23:52 many other translations have a colon. 23:54 Now tell me, what function does 23:57 a colon serve in the English Language? 24:02 A colon. Okay, a list comes after, 24:06 that's exactly right. 24:07 Something comes after that refers back 24:10 to what you just said, so for example 24:12 this is a very easy to understand, 24:13 pretend like I had a blackboard up here I wish I did. 24:15 Okay, pretend like I wrote out the following statement 24:18 "These are my two sons: Landon and Jabel." 24:26 Does that make sense, yes or no? 24:27 Is that how we use a colon in the English Language? 24:30 "These are my two sons: Landon and Jabel." 24:33 So the colon says Landon and Jabel refers 24:35 back to what I just said these are my two sons. 24:38 So notice what Paul does there in verse 3. 24:40 he says for I delivered unto you 24:42 that which I also received colon. 24:46 In other words, I'm preaching to you 24:48 what was preached to me, and in the rest of verse 3, 24:53 all of verse 4 and all of verse 5 24:55 is a doxological statement that comes before 24:59 the time of Paul by more than 20 years. 25:04 Now remember what's Paul talking about in verses 1 and 2. 25:07 What's he talking about everyone? 25:09 Come on, encourage me. 25:10 The Gospel, the euangelion, 25:13 the Gospel and then he says in verse 3, 25:15 "I delivered unto you that which I already received." 25:17 Here it is, here is the doxology. 25:20 It is going to sound like a doxology 25:21 when you see it this way oh, 25:23 that's a doxology, it looks like a doxology. 25:25 It sounds like a doxology. 25:28 Latter half of verse 3, "Christ died for our sins 25:32 according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, 25:37 and that he rose again the third day 25:38 according to the Scriptures, 25:40 and that he was seen by Cephas, 25:41 and then by the Twelve. 25:45 " Do you see the doxology there, yes or no? 25:48 It's a succinct statement of Christian belief 25:51 that was designed for the purposes of memorization. 25:56 So that in the years right after the crucifixion, 25:59 if you claim to be a Christian 26:00 and I claim to be a Christian 26:02 before we had the written word codified, 26:04 the New Testament codified you claim 26:06 to be a believer in Christ, 26:07 I claim to be a believer in Christ. 26:09 We could know that we are on the same page 26:10 if we affirm this doxology. 26:13 Hey, what do you believe? I'll tell you what you believe, 26:14 I believe that "Christ", what? 26:16 "Died according to the Scriptures, 26:18 then he was buried, that he rose again 26:21 the third day according to the Scriptures 26:23 and that he was seenby Cephas, and then by the Twelve". 26:24 That's what it meant to be a Christian 26:26 in the early centuries. 26:29 Making sense, yes or no? 26:31 So Paul here is simply quoting 26:34 an earlier doxological statement. 26:36 You says what's the big deal, 26:37 what does this have to do with time management? 26:39 Follow this. Watch this carefully. 26:44 I'm going to substitute Jesus Christ 26:47 for every time a pronoun occurs in the doxology, 26:51 okay, a pronoun that refers to Him occurs. 26:53 I'm in verse 3, "Jesus Christ died 26:57 for our sins according to the Scriptures, 26:58 and that Jesus Christ was buried, 27:01 and that Jesus Christ rose again 27:04 the third day according to the Scriptures, 27:05 and that Jesus Christ was seen by Cephas, 27:08 and then by the Twelve. 27:11 What is the obvious thrust of the doxology? 27:17 What is it everyone? It's the life of Jesus Christ. 27:22 Now remember what did Paul say in Romans 1 27:24 "Separated to the Gospel of God which concerns" 27:28 Which concerns, what everyone? "Jesus Christ." 27:31 And here he tells us hey, when I was preaching 27:33 the Gospel to you, I preached the Gospel, 27:35 this is what I preached that Jesus Christ 27:37 was--He died according to the Scriptures, 27:40 that He was buried, 27:41 that He rose again according to the Scriptures, 27:42 that He was seen by Cephas and by the Twelve. 27:44 For Paul the Gospel was about a person. 27:52 The Gospel is not a mere set of beliefs. 28:00 I'm going to say that again. 28:03 The Gospel is not a mere set of theological 28:06 beliefs or propositions. 28:09 The Gospel is a person. 28:14 The Gospel is the good news about a man, 28:18 and actual man that actually lived, 28:21 and is actually alive today, in an actual place. 28:25 That's the Gospel, friends. 28:28 We sometimes confuse the Gospel with beliefs 28:35 and we believe as Seventh-day Adventist 28:37 that when you die, you do not ascend 28:39 directly into the immediate pristines of heaven 28:41 but you sleep the sleep of death and await the resurrection. 28:43 Do we believe that, yes or no? 28:46 Yes. Is that true, yes or no? 28:47 Yes. But friends, listen 28:49 that is the belief that we hold. 28:51 That is not in its most core sense the Gospel. 28:57 Okay. Do we believe that in 1844, 28:59 Jesus Christ entered the Most Holy Place 29:01 to begin the end, the final phase of judgment 29:04 and thus ushering the anti-typical 29:06 Day of Atonement? Do you believe that, yes or no? 29:07 Yes. Yes. 29:09 And that date and that phase of ministry 29:11 will tell us something about Jesus Christ, 29:13 but the date itself is a belief. 29:17 The Gospel is the good news about a person. 29:20 Now some of you are sitting there 29:21 and getting very easy and saying Oh, 29:24 no he's trying to separate between 29:25 what we believe and Jesus. 29:27 Not at all. Think of it this way. 29:30 How many of you today have wives? 29:34 Okay. Are there things 29:36 that are true about your wife? 29:39 Are there statements that could be 29:41 made about your wife, yes or no? True statements. 29:43 Okay. Imagine with me that we have up here 29:48 a great big sheet of paper or better 29:50 yet you have a laptop computer on your lap. 29:52 And we're going to start writing out 29:54 all kinds of true things about your wife. 29:57 Okay. You're ready? So in my case 30:01 I'm gonna write down Violeta Indochi 30:03 was born on October 5th, 1975. 30:09 She was born in Constanta, Romania. 30:11 She has two brothers and two sisters. 30:13 Her favorite color is this. Her favorite food is this. 30:15 She stubbed her toe when she was 13 years old 30:17 and broke it and it turns kind of funny. 30:19 I mean, I'm gonna have all of these things. 30:21 I'm going to write out all of these things about my wife. 30:25 Making sense, yes or no? 30:27 Now you do the same for your wife, 30:28 okay, you type them all up. 30:29 And after years and years, 30:31 you have finished your exhaustive list, 30:34 your exhaustive compendium of all of the things 30:37 that are true about your wife and then you burn it 30:41 to a CD or better get a DVD. 30:45 Now is that DVD your wife, yes or no? 30:50 Now imagine you print it out, 30:51 you've got 150 pages of true things about your wife. 30:54 Can you imagine crawling into bed one evening 30:56 and cuddling up with your DVD? 31:01 Cuddling up with your paper? 31:04 Friends, don't miss this point. 31:06 all of those things about your wife are not your wife. 31:11 You follow that. All of those things are true. 31:15 All of those things are good. 31:17 All of those things are informative and meaningful. 31:19 But not one of those things is your wife. 31:22 Can you imagine going out to a restaurant 31:26 your DVD under one arm? Table for two, please. 31:33 You sit down you put the DVD across the table. 31:37 Yes, I'll be having a lasagna 31:38 and she will take the angel hair pasta 31:42 with a tomato basil sauce, light on the cheese. 31:46 It's totally nonsensical to even think about that, 31:48 to talk about that it sounds foolish and ludicrous. 31:51 Friends, listen to this. 31:52 Many of us have substituted beliefs 31:55 about Jesus for the person of Jesus. 31:59 Do you see that, yes or no? 32:02 We have substituted a set of beliefs 32:04 about the person for the actual person Himself. 32:11 Remember, what's our question 32:12 that we're seeking to answer? 32:14 What is the Gospel? 32:19 Now I want to read to you from a pen of Ellen White 32:24 and I want to go and record of saying 32:26 I make absolutely no apologies for this. 32:31 Eight years ago, I was studying pre-medicine 32:35 at the University of Wyoming, was not a Christian, 32:39 had no interest in Christianity, 32:42 was fairing quite well in my self satisfied, 32:45 secular existence. 32:46 I was a 24-year-old person 32:48 who wanted to be a doctor made good money, 32:49 and just go on rock climbing the rest of my days. 32:52 This was my paradigm to use the modern term. 32:56 The Lord brings a tragedy into my experience 32:59 and I find myself one day with tears running down 33:01 my cheeks with a Christian book in my hands, 33:05 that Christian book is called 'The Great Controversy' 33:08 maybe you've heard of it. 33:12 Now let me tell you something, 33:13 I read that book and I didn't know 33:15 the first thing hardly about Christianity, 33:19 but in reading that book even with my limited 33:21 perfunctory understanding, I can tell you something. 33:25 I knew right off, that whoever wrote this book 33:28 and I didn't even know it was a she, 33:30 I just knew it was an EG. 33:33 Whoever wrote this book had a special connection with God. 33:39 Now this was before I, this was before 33:40 I was a Seventh-day Adventist, I was just reading this book, 33:43 was given to me in a health resort, 33:44 I was just reading it. 33:46 I didn't know that some church claimed 33:47 that she was a prophet, I knew none of that. 33:49 I could have told you even then, 33:50 this woman has some kind of special connection 33:53 with the God that she worships. 33:56 So this morning I make no apologies 33:58 for quoting from her pen. 34:00 And I tell you, you will be hard pressed 34:04 to find a better, more sublime 34:09 and more succinct definition of the Gospel than this. 34:12 I challenge you, try it. Here it is. 34:16 If you're interested in the reference 34:17 this is from Manuscript 49, 1898, 34:20 Manuscript 49, 1898. You're ready for the statement. 34:22 One sentence, one sentence, 34:28 "Hanging upon the cross, 34:33 Christ was the Gospel." 34:36 Can you say, amen? 34:42 "Hanging upon the cross, 34:45 Christ was the Gospel." 34:52 Friends, you cannot get anymore purer than that. 34:56 Knock yourself out trying. 34:59 See if you can do a better definition than that, 35:00 you cannot top that. 35:04 That is, that is non-toppable. 35:08 "Hanging upon the cross, 35:09 Christ was the Gospel." 35:14 For Ellen White as for Paul, 35:19 the Gospel is the good news about a person, 35:26 about a what everyone? 35:28 This cannot be over emphasized. 35:31 It is not just a set of beliefs. 35:33 Are beliefs important, yes or no? 35:35 Oh, come on, you're talking 35:37 to a Seventh-day Adventist Evangelist, 35:38 are beliefs important? Beliefs are very important, 35:41 extremely important, but not supremely important. 35:50 The Gospel is Jesus Christ. 35:57 It's the good news about a man who lived, 36:02 breathed, who died, was humiliated and crucified, 36:07 who was buried in a tomb that was not His own, 36:11 who rose again hallelujah the third day 36:13 according to the Scriptures and who were seen by Cephas, 36:16 the Twelve and by 500 other brethren, 36:21 that my friends, is the Gospel. 36:25 Just ask Paul, just ask Ellen White. 36:29 Now remember we wanted to ask 36:32 and answer two questions. 36:33 How many questions, everyone? two questions? 36:35 The first question you wanted to ask 36:37 and answer is what is the Gospel? 36:39 Now you can add more layers to that, 36:41 you can add more elements to that, 36:42 you can do that if you want, 36:44 like an onion you want to pile on this, 36:45 and pile on this, fine, you can do that. 36:47 But if you strip the Gospel down 36:48 to its most basic element to, 36:50 to the basic germ of what the Gospel is? 36:53 The Gospel is the news about a person, 36:56 an actual person. Amen. 37:00 Second question, the second question 37:03 that we want to ask and answer is 37:04 what is a relationship? 37:09 What is a relationship? 37:14 Now in order to answer this question 37:16 I thought it would be a good idea to go ask 37:18 Mr. Webster, Noah Webster. 37:22 Here it is, a relationship 37:27 "A close emotional connection 37:30 between two persons". 37:34 That easily memorized, doesn't it. 37:36 Let's say that together " 37:37 A close emotional connection 37:41 between two persons". 37:44 Now notice this, it does not say, 37:47 a close emotional connection 37:48 between a person and a set of beliefs. 37:53 A relationship is by definition is a close emotional 37:56 connection between two, what? 37:59 Two persons. Two people. 38:05 Now I don't want to be laid with the point, 38:08 but friends this must be emphasized, 38:11 because many of us have surplanted 38:14 the actual Jesus with truths and things 38:18 that are correct about Jesus. 38:23 It's the functional equivalent of taking 38:24 that list of all of those things that are true 38:26 about your wife and calling that your wife. 38:30 Here you would have substituted beliefs about your wife, 38:32 true statements about your wife, 38:34 doctrines if you will 38:35 about your wife, for your wife 38:42 In the pop word today and the word 38:44 that is becoming increasingly popular in our modern 38:46 Adventist vernacular is this word relationship. 38:54 And many of us have been urged by our pastors, 38:56 and urged by our spiritual mentors, 38:58 and urged by our church leaders 39:00 to have a personal, you finish it for me. 39:02 A personal relationship, but some of us are struggling 39:05 with this and the reason I believe 39:08 that some of us are struggling is that 39:10 we're trying to have a relationship 39:11 with a set of beliefs. 39:19 I'm going to share with you right now, 39:20 the three most powerful words in the entire universe. 39:25 You search the universe over 39:26 and you will not find three words 39:29 that are more powerful than these three words. 39:33 Jesus is alive. Amen! 39:42 We serve a living Savior. 39:46 A good friend of mine, a pastor in this conference, 39:48 a man who I love dearly and have great respect 39:50 for a young man by the name of Jason Seiber was leading 39:54 his debauched, crazy life there at Humboldt State University. 39:57 And Jason Seiber went to hear some Baptist 40:01 preacher preach, and that Baptist preacher 40:03 said a whole bunch of words, 40:04 Jason didn't remember any of it, 40:06 but he said three words and these three words ignited 40:09 a revolution that took place in that young man's mind. 40:12 And those three words were, "Jesus is alive." 40:17 And this was like a lightning strike to Jason. 40:19 It was like, wait a minute, 40:22 religion is more than just a set of beliefs. 40:26 Religion is more than 40:27 a cacophony of creeds and doctrines. 40:29 Religion is about a person. 40:32 A man who actually lived, 40:34 a man who actually died and a man who actually, 40:36 praise God, rose from the dead. 40:39 Jesus is alive. 40:44 And Mr. Webster says, 40:45 a relationship is a close emotional 40:47 connection between two, 40:50 you finish it for me, two persons. 40:55 If we are struggling to have a relationship, 40:57 maybe it's because we have supplanted 40:59 the substance with the shadow. 41:01 We have supplanted the actual Jesus 41:05 with truths about Jesus. 41:08 And we are struggling and trying to have a relationship 41:11 with a set of beliefs and not with an actual living, 41:16 breathing, dynamic person. 41:26 Go with me in your Bible to Mark Chapter 1, 41:31 Mark what chapter, everyone? 41:32 One. Mark Chapter 1. 41:35 Here we find the remarkable comment, 41:40 remarkable element. 41:43 Just a little one verse statement here 41:47 that is absolutely remarkable. 41:49 Mark 1:35. The Bible says, 41:55 "Now in the morning, having risen 41:58 a long while before daylight, Jesus, 42:01 He, went out and departed to a solitary place 42:05 and there he prayed." Fascinating. 42:12 Jesus woke up and He went into a place 42:14 where He could be alone. 42:17 Why did He go there? Why does the scripture say 42:19 He went there? To pray. 42:22 Finish this for me if you can. 42:24 Prayer is the opening of the heart 42:27 to God as to a what? As to a friend. 42:30 Not to a set of beliefs. 42:34 Just try talking to your Bible someday. 42:37 Just try talking to--open up the wonderful book 42:41 that I love so much, Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, 42:44 27 fundamental beliefs, just open that thing up 42:46 and try having a conversation. 42:47 Just go ahead. 42:49 Your wife will think you have lost your mind. 42:53 And yet, many of us are trying 42:54 to do that very thing. 42:57 We are seeking to have a relationship 42:58 with a set of beliefs. 43:00 Jesus woke up in the morning 43:02 not to go back over in wrote, 43:03 everything that He believed, 43:05 not to go cogitate upon all the things 43:07 that He knew is true. 43:08 Jesus woke up in the morning 43:10 to spend actual time with an actual person, 43:12 His Father. Amen. 43:16 And Jesus knew that, if He was going to be 43:17 strengthened for the day to overcome the temptations, 43:20 the difficulties and the vicissitudes 43:21 of the Messianic life, He had to have 43:24 that quality time with His Father. Amen. 43:29 Now I tell you, this quality time 43:31 is a tricky one, isn't it? 43:35 I've been married now for five years, 43:36 five happy years. I'm glad to announce that, 43:40 five happy years that get better every year. 43:43 But let me tell you, I had a real struggle 43:45 the first two years of my marriage, 43:47 and my wife would say the strangest things. 43:52 She would say things like this, Sweetie, 43:57 we don't spend much time together, 44:00 I'd say what, I was incredulous. 44:03 What do you mean, we don't spend much time together. 44:05 We ate together just this morning. 44:09 We slept together last night. 44:12 We're going to eat together again tonight. 44:13 She said, no you don't understand. 44:15 I want quality time, quality time. 44:20 Have you men, has this men, 44:21 have any of you had this two phrase? 44:23 Has this been introduced into your marital vernacular, 44:25 yes or no? Quality time. 44:29 All right, quality time and so she was trying 44:32 to communicate to me this is quality time and this isn't. 44:34 And after about five years now, 44:36 I'm starting to get the feel for what quality time is? 44:38 I don't quite have it, though, 44:40 because this is a true story. 44:41 I would sometimes say to my wife when we are right 44:43 in the middle of an activity, we're doing something, 44:45 we've gone out to do something for the day, 44:46 I'll just lean over to her and I'll say now, 44:48 now sweetie, you can ask her, she'll tell you this is true. 44:50 I'll say now, sweetie, is this quality time? 44:54 And she'll say yeah, this is quality time. 44:56 I'll say, yeah, okay, good. 44:57 I just wanted to be sure because there have been times 45:00 where were spending what I thought was 45:01 quality time and then the day was done 45:03 and I'd say you know, 45:05 I've got to go away for a day or two, 45:06 and she'd say we're not spending anytime. 45:07 What are you talking of? We just spent time yesterday, 45:09 but that wasn't quality time. 45:10 That wasn't quality time. 45:12 I'm starting to get it, I mean, 45:13 slowly I mean as dense as can be, 45:15 but I'm starting to get this quality time thing now. 45:19 And quality time, are you ready for this? 45:22 Quality time is time spent I can say it 45:25 in one word "Time spent undistracted". 45:31 Time spent, what did I say? Undistracted and I tell you, 45:34 you want to talk about an epiphany. 45:36 I had a eurekan moment with my wife 45:38 about three years ago. 45:41 I had been busy running this way 45:43 and that way and trying 45:44 to get you know, everything done. 45:45 Some of us think that if we're not doing 45:47 everything in the world, that the world is just going 45:48 to fall apart and I fell victim to that, 45:51 I fell victim to that. 45:53 Let me just pause here for a moment, 45:54 let me give you a parenthetical statement I know your busy. 45:58 If you are a typical man and you have 46:00 an ounce of ambition in you, 46:02 you're a busy person, okay. 46:06 Now this is a parenthetical statement, 46:08 you don't have to pay any extra for this. 46:13 You are replaceable in your place of work. 46:21 You might think that if you don't do 46:24 the job that God has called you to do, 46:26 and your line of work that 46:27 the whole thing is gonna fall apart, 46:30 and crash and burn. Not true. 46:32 You are totally replaceable, even you. 46:36 In your line of work, you might be 46:38 sitting here today as a pastor saying no, 46:39 he's talking about all the no, no, no. 46:41 Even as a pastor if you suddenly die 46:43 in a car accident tomorrow, 46:44 the conference wouldn't go, 46:46 oh, know what happened to Pastor Keith Phillips 46:47 and the whole thing falls in upon himself, 46:49 they will just hire somebody else. 46:51 Where are you, Keith? 46:53 Yeah, I'm sorry Keith, I'm sorry, brother. 46:56 It's just not. Even Pastor Pelendee there. 46:58 Even if Pastor, if something happened to him, 47:00 you know, the whole thing wouldn't fall in, 47:02 he's replaceable. Amen. 47:05 Pastor Asscherick is every one of you 47:07 whether in a pastoral setting or in your work setting, 47:09 you are replaceable. 47:11 You are, you're not going to like this very much. 47:13 You're dispensable in your place of work. 47:18 But you want to know what? 47:22 You are the only father your children will ever have. 47:29 You are indispensable in your home. 47:33 If you die, or if you don't go home one day, 47:39 things will never be the same 47:40 for your children or for your wife. 47:45 Now let's think about that as we prioritize ourselves. 47:49 In your sphere of work, you are totally, 47:52 totally, totally dispensable, 47:54 but in your home you are indispensable. 47:59 And maybe this means cutting 48:02 back on some of those hours. 48:05 Oh, but you say Pastor Asscherick 48:06 you are all washed up. 48:08 You don't know my financial situation. 48:09 Maybe you've not taken a look 48:11 at the Michigan economy lately. 48:12 You have got to be kidding me. 48:13 Friends, listen to me, you're not gonna like this one bit 48:15 but maybe friends, just maybe what we, 48:17 what we mean when we say, 48:18 look you don't understand me I'm just busy 48:20 I have to work this much. 48:22 Maybe what we really mean is in order 48:24 for me to maintain this standard of living, 48:27 I have to work this much. 48:31 Are you hearing me? 48:33 Maybe what we're really saying is, 48:34 in order what me to have this new SUV, 48:37 I've got to work this much. 48:40 But I'm telling you something, 48:41 you are indispensable in your home. 48:44 If you're, like I told you in the beginning of this thing, 48:46 there is not enough time to get it all done. 48:49 You settle that in your mind, right now. 48:50 You cannot keep your boss as happy as he would like to be 48:53 and neither can you keep your family 48:54 as happy as they'd like to be. 48:55 And so you're gonna have to cheat somewhere. 48:59 You know, I've never yethad my wife 49:01 come to me and say, "Sweetie, you know, 49:02 I think you've been spending too much time with the kids and I". 49:05 Why don't you go to work and get some work done? 49:09 Anybody here ever had that experience? 49:12 I've not yet had my boss come to me. 49:14 Jason never called me up and said you know, 49:17 you've been working too hard. 49:20 Take a few months off, go spend sometime with your family, 49:22 come on get out of the office. 49:24 It's not gonna happen, 49:25 it's not gonna happen with your boss, either. 49:27 There is not enough time for you to get everything done 49:29 that you need to get done and so you're going cheat somebody. 49:32 You follow me, you're going to do, 49:34 you settle that in your mind, right now. 49:35 If you continue to proceed on the premise, 49:37 there isn't time enough to get it all done, 49:38 I've just got to buckle down and do it right. Forget it. 49:42 There is not enough time to get it all done. 49:43 You're going to cheat somebody. 49:45 You'll either your family or you'll cheat 49:47 your Savior or you'll cheat your work. 49:49 And if you're like most men you are not cheating your family 49:52 and you know what you are cheating? 49:53 You are cheating your family 49:55 and you're not cheating your work, 49:56 if you are like most men. 49:58 But friends, this is remarkable 50:00 because in your place of work, 50:01 you are totally dispensable. 50:05 But in your home you are totally indispensable. 50:10 I told you this, this is not what this seminar is about, 50:12 so close parenthesis you don't have 50:13 to pay any extra for that. 50:17 This is what I learnt friends, we have an epiphany. 50:20 We had a eurekan moment in my marriage. 50:23 And my wife said to me, "Sweetheart, 50:26 if you would just come home, even when you're busy". 50:27 You get busy. Hey, I can appreciate that. 50:29 She understands that. 50:30 She's a very sensitive, understanding wife. 50:32 She said to me, "If you can give me", 50:34 listen to this, when I couldn't believe it, 50:36 I thought, tune in I didn't hear that correctly. 50:42 She said, "If you can give me 15 minutes, 50:44 just you and I on the couch everyday, 50:46 things will be just fine". 50:49 I thought she was kidding. 50:52 You know, what I've discovered she wasn't kidding. 50:56 When things get busy, I mean, 50:58 when things get really out of hand, 50:59 and I travel this week to Norway, 51:01 and then I travel this week to this place, 51:03 and I've got to be going this week, 51:04 and then I've got the ARISE class, 51:06 and I've got to teach, and sometimes life 51:07 is like that and I admit that. 51:09 I have learned that if I just sit down on the couch, 51:11 I come home sit on the couch, 51:13 and Landon's trying to jump upon my lap 51:14 and Jabel is learning to talk, 51:16 papa, papa, papa, open it, open it. 51:18 Fix it, papa, papa. 51:19 And I just put them aside 51:21 and I just looked longingly into Violet's eyes 51:23 and I say how was your day, sweetie? 51:27 Oh, tell me, you will go great lengths, 51:31 great distances, and she's talking 51:33 and I'm talking and I'm giving her what kind of attention? 51:36 What was that word I said? Undistracted. 51:38 Fifteen minutes and you know, what's remarkable? 51:40 I'm sitting there thinking she's getting 15 minutes of my time, 51:43 but you know, what usually happens, 51:44 it turns out to be like 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 51:47 45 minutes and I remember again 51:49 what it was that so attracted me to her, 51:51 it's just her and I on, we're just sharing 51:53 and I tell you friends that's quality time. 52:00 I'm not suggesting that you have to wake up 52:02 in the morning two hours early to spend some 52:04 sort of monastic existence pouring over the scriptures, 52:08 flagellating yourself and spending 52:10 so many hours on your knees, 52:11 that you knees bulge out like camels. 52:17 If I can survive, now I can't go long term 52:19 with my wife for 15 minutes a day 52:21 and you can't do that, but I can pull that off 52:22 for a week or even two in tight situations. 52:25 Friends, you don't need long periods of time 52:28 to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus. 52:32 You just have to have undistracted quality time. 52:39 Amen. So you're going to get discouraged 52:41 and think that I'm going to tell you 52:42 that if you don't get up at 5 o'clock in the morning 52:43 you're not a Christian. I'm gonna say no such thing 52:45 What I'm gonna say is? Whatever time it is, 52:47 you have to get up just set that alarm for 15 minutes 52:50 earlier and spend that quality undistracted time 52:54 with a person in a relationship. 53:01 Quickly Exodus 16, Exodus Chapter 53:05 what everyone? Sixteen. 53:10 The bread was raining from heaven 53:13 and the children of Israel came out 53:14 one day and all of this stuff was on the ground, 53:18 this stuff everywhere on the ground. 53:19 They've never seen anything like that before, 53:21 you know, what they said, 53:23 they said what is it? 53:26 The word "manna" means what is it? 53:30 They came out, they've never seen anything 53:31 like that before and they said what is it. 53:33 And they went out and they started to gather it and ate it. 53:35 What is it? And so the children 53:38 of Israel for 40 years they ate, what is it? Paddy. 53:40 What is it? Loaf and all, 53:42 you do the same at potluck. 53:43 Amen. Amen. I mean, 53:47 you know how it is at some Adventist potlucks, 53:49 you just pile it on and hope for the best 53:51 'cause you're just saying, what is it? It doesn't matter. 53:52 Put it on there, right. 53:54 This is what these guys, but now listen to this John 6, 53:57 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life", 54:00 your fathers ate bread in the wilderness and are dead. 54:05 What Jesus was saying there is? 54:07 What happened in Exodus 16 beginning there 54:09 and extending all the way through those 40 years 54:10 pointed forward to me? 54:13 Pointed forward to what everyone? 54:15 Pointed forward to what everyone? 54:16 Jesus, Jesus was the bread of life that came from heaven. 54:19 Jesus was the bread of life that nourished the soul. 54:21 Now look at Exodus 16: 21, look at verse 21, 54:26 "so they gathered it every morning" the what is it? 54:29 "Every man according to his need, 54:33 every man according to his need, 54:35 and when the sun became hot" 54:37 it what? "It melted". 54:41 If you waited to long to go out 54:43 and gather it, it was gone. 54:47 Now friends make the obvious application, 54:50 if Jesus is the bread of life and the Bible says here 54:54 that they needed to gather it in the morning 54:55 because if they waited till later in the day, it was gone. 54:58 The day had melted it away, 54:59 so, too in any relationship with Jesus. 55:02 It is harder to spend time, meaningful time with Jesus 55:05 at 11 A.M than it is at 7 A.M. You follow that. 55:11 Just as it would melt away, 55:12 so, too your phone starts ringing and your kids 55:14 are screaming and you got to take this, 55:16 I mean, friends, your day is up and rolling. 55:18 I don't know about your day but my day 55:19 is in full swing between 8:00 and 8:30. 55:21 That's when the cell phone is going ballistic 55:23 but before 8:00, that's where I've got to get my time. 55:27 I need to talk with Jesus, I have to sit down 55:29 and have a relationship a close emotional connection 55:32 between two persons with Jesus. 55:38 Friends, we know religion is not a set of beliefs. 55:43 We know that religion is not a set of doctrinal propositions. 55:47 All of those things are very important 55:48 but real religion is a relationship with a person. 55:56 And that person is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. |
Revised 2014-12-17