Participants:
Series Code: PTL
Program Code: PTL000005A
|
00:49 Hello, television land.
00:52 We invite you here to Phoenix, Arizona 00:55 to the Paradise Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:58 My name is Jim Hakes. 00:59 I have the privilege of pastoring this particular church 01:02 that gets to host, Pathways To Life, with Pastor John Lomacang 01:07 and his friends from Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 01:11 They're all here. 01:12 And we invite you, wherever you live around the world, 01:14 we invite you here to Phoenix, Arizona for the next hour. 01:18 We've got several things that are happening here. 01:22 We've had several other musical guests that came along. 01:26 Tonight we have Dawn of Hope Ministry. 01:29 Which means Stephanie Dawn will be singing 01:32 and Dan will be at the piano. 01:34 And then after that we will have Pastor Lomacang, 01:37 as has happened the last four meetings, 01:41 opening the Bible together. 01:43 And we pray that each one receive a blessing 01:48 from being here together this evening to open God's Word. 01:53 As is our custom, when we come to opening God's Word, 01:56 seems like a good idea it should begin with a word of prayer. 01:59 Shouldn't we? 02:00 So will you pray with me as we go into our meeting tonight? 02:04 Gracious heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity 02:10 to come together, to come together in person 02:15 or all over the television land. 02:18 We thank You for bringing us together. 02:20 We pray that as Stephanie sings and Dan plays, 02:24 that it will prepare our hearts for the message 02:29 that Elder Lomacang has for us. 02:32 And we thank You, Father. 02:33 For we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 02:37 Stephanie will be singing, Oh Glorious Love. 02:40 And after that, Pastor Lomacang will be telling us 02:43 all about how to get connected. 03:02 In my darkness Jesus found me, 03:10 touched my eyes and made me see, 03:18 broke sin's chains that long had bound me, 03:26 gave me life and liberty. 03:34 Oh, glorious love of Christ my Lord divine, 03:41 who gave Himself to save a soul like mine. 03:48 Through all my days, and then in heaven above, 03:56 my song will silence never, I'll worship Him forever, 04:03 and praise Him for His glorious love. 04:15 Oh, amazing truth to ponder, 04:21 He whom angel hosts attend; 04:29 Lord in Heaven, God's Son, what wonder! 04:36 He became the sinner's friend. 04:44 Oh, glorious love of Christ my Lord divine, 04:50 who gave Himself to save a soul like mine. 04:57 Through all my days, and then in heaven above, 05:05 my song will silence never, I'll worship Him forever, 05:12 and praise Him for His glorious love, 05:22 and praise Him for His glorious love. 05:38 Thank you, Stephanie. Thank you, Dan. 05:40 - Amen again, somebody. ~ Amen. 05:42 What a wonderful song to lay the foundation 05:44 for the message tonight, 05:46 which is entitled, Get Connected. 05:48 What is the title tonight? 05:50 Get Connected. 05:52 Let us go before the Lord in prayer. 05:57 Loving Father in heaven, thank You, Lord, for the power 06:00 that You make available to every one of us 06:04 to live a life beyond our natural ability. 06:08 And Lord, tonight as we open Your Word, 06:11 we pray that Your Holy Spirit will open our hearts 06:15 to hear and to receive the power that You so desire 06:20 to fill us with. 06:21 In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 06:26 Let me begin with a story tonight. 06:29 I remember when I received and purchased 06:32 my very first computer. 06:34 That's not a picture of it. It was much older than that. 06:38 But my wife and I lived in the mountains of 06:40 northern California, and I remember very well 06:42 I had a candy apple red Honda motorcycle 06:48 which I really, really enjoyed. 06:50 But she made me choose between the motorcycle 06:53 and the computer. 06:54 And she said to me, "I think you will live longer 06:57 with the computer than with the motorcycle." 07:00 So I got excited and bought my first Tandy Company 07:03 Radio Shack computer. 07:05 I mean, I was so excited about it. 07:07 When it came and arrived in our small home behind our church 07:11 in our parsonage there, I took all the pieces out. 07:14 I'm kind of a... I'm a gadgetarian. 07:16 I must admit that. 07:18 I like gadgets, I like electronics. 07:19 And I read the manual, put it all together. 07:22 Connected the printer to the main power, 07:25 the keyboard to the tower, 07:28 the mouse to the back of the tower. 07:30 And I hit the power button, and nothing happened. 07:36 And I took that manual out and said, "Now wait a minute. 07:39 The manual says hook the... Okay, got that. 07:45 Got that. 07:47 Got that. Okay, good. 07:49 Let's try this again." 07:51 And I hit the button, and nothing happened. 07:54 I tried that over and over for a number of times, 07:55 and I got so frustrated I said, 07:57 "You know, I'm going to call tech support." 08:00 And I called tech support. 08:02 And I was standing there, because I knew I had 08:04 done everything I needed to do to get that computer to work. 08:07 And there was a technical, the technician on the other end 08:10 was a lady, and she said, "Sir, can I ask you a question?" 08:13 I said, "Sure." 08:14 She said, "Did you plug it into the wall?" 08:18 I said, "Um, let me check." 08:22 And I crawled under my wooden desk that I made, 08:27 and in a muffled tone I said, 08:29 "I think I forgot to plug it into the wall." 08:33 And I learned a valuable lesson. 08:34 That was my opening story for my sermon next Sabbath. 08:38 And the point of the matter is, I learned, until we are 08:41 connected, there is no power available 08:45 to live the Christian life. 08:47 That's why tonight in John 15:5 notice the words of Jesus. 08:52 He made it very clear. We need to be connected. 08:54 He said, together let's read this... 09:10 That computer was brand new. 09:14 Let me go even deeper. 09:15 You may have a brand new walk with Jesus, 09:19 but if you fail to connect to the power that's available 09:23 only through His Holy Spirit, you may be intellectually 09:27 connected, but spiritually disconnected. 09:30 No power to break the bonds of the former 09:34 life that you have lived. 09:35 And I've learned that through the years 09:37 in some difficult ways. 09:39 That you need to pray every day for the power of Christ 09:43 to abide in your life. 09:44 Notice verse 7 of John 15. 09:47 Jesus emphasizes even further. He says... 09:58 One of the first ways, if you want to jot this down, 10:02 the abc's of growing as a Christian, 10:04 one of the first ways of getting connected 10:07 is, you've got to stay in the Word of God. 10:12 You've got to abide in His Word. 10:15 "If you abide in Me and My word abides in you..." 10:19 The word, abide, doesn't mean, glance. 10:22 It doesn't mean, run through the Word of God. 10:24 It means, put the Word of God before you on a daily basis 10:28 as if your life depended on the Word of God being in your heart. 10:34 How many of you eat? 10:36 I don't know why I asked that survey, 10:38 because most of you are starving based on that survey. 10:42 But every day, we eat. 10:44 Am I right? 10:45 Either we eat late, you know, we eat early, 10:48 or we eat a lot, or we eat a little, 10:50 but every day we eat. 10:52 Do you know what's more important 10:53 than your physical food? 10:54 It's your spiritual food. 10:57 Whenever I'm in a situation where I'm giving a Bible study 11:01 and I'm opening the Word of God and sharing with someone else, 11:03 I lose my physical appetite. 11:06 But my spiritual appetite takes off like a hungry lion 11:10 and I just dive into God's Word. 11:12 So tonight, remember, one of the first things that we need to do 11:15 to abide and to have that daily power in our lives 11:18 is to read the Word of God. 11:22 Every day we've got to have the Word of God in our lives. 11:26 Something else I've learned is, when we were born 11:29 we were connected, but we were connected to the wrong source. 11:36 We were connected to a source that can only produce 11:39 in us fruits that result in death. 11:44 Spiritual death and physical death. 11:48 That's why the Bible says, "There's a way that 11:49 seems right unto a man, but in the end thereof 11:53 is the way of death." 11:55 And so, unless you have a devised plan in your life, 11:59 you've got to remember there are principles in the Bible 12:02 that we cannot break away from and we cannot ignore them 12:06 if we hope to have a growing relationship with Christ. 12:09 We were born connected, but what and who 12:11 were we born connected to? 12:13 Notice the Bible. 1 Corinthians 15:22, together. 12:26 As long as we maintain our connection with our natural, 12:32 with the nature that we were born with, 12:34 with the Adam nature, 12:37 as long as we maintain a connection to the Adam nature, 12:41 nothing in our lives will be produced 12:43 that is connected to life. 12:47 I've met people that talk about, you know, we have people that 12:49 come to our church, they say, "Hey, I like your diet." 12:53 So they become vegetarians. 12:56 But they don't accept Jesus. 12:58 Some people say, "I really like the fact that you guys 13:00 go to church on the Bible Sabbath." 13:02 So they come on Sabbath. 13:04 But they don't accept Jesus. 13:06 So the proper exercise without Christ in your life 13:11 is just an exercise. 13:13 You've got to have Jesus and His power in your life 13:16 how frequently? 13:18 Every day, every moment of every day. 13:22 Because that sin nature is more powerful 13:24 than we can every imagine. 13:26 We were born with a sin nature that connects us 13:30 indelibly to Adam. 13:32 Not to Adam before the fall, but Adam after the fall. 13:37 Look at Romans 5:12. 13:39 The Bible tells us... 13:56 Now it doesn't mean that babies were born sinning. 14:03 It means babies were born with a sin nature. 14:08 I read a book by Dr. Haddon W. Robinson. 14:12 And he pointed out, he said in his... 14:14 He's a wonderful professor, expository preacher. 14:18 But he points out in his book, he said 14:20 one of the reasons why God allows babies to be born small 14:24 is because their natures are so unregenerated 14:27 that if they were 150 pounds when they were born 14:29 they would beat you up. 14:32 Have you heard a baby cry when you miss their feeding time? 14:38 I was in Walmart the other day, and the people that were 14:40 on the other side of the aisle, we were just... 14:42 I had to giggle with them because it was a little baby, 14:44 he was crying his heart out. 14:46 You know when they get to that point where their cry is like... 14:50 And you don't hear anything. 14:52 They're inhaling because they're coming back with... 14:57 And I'm listening, and the mother said, 14:58 we heard her over the, she said, 15:00 "If you don't stop it, I'm going to spank you." 15:03 He didn't care. 15:07 I thought to myself, what if he was 150 pounds? 15:09 What would he do to his mother? 15:12 Now you may be smiling, but here's my point. 15:15 The nature that Adam has given to us is corrupt, 15:19 it is selfish, it is self-centered. 15:22 It doesn't care about anybody but itself. 15:26 That's why when people are unregenerated, 15:29 you see that in the things that are happening in society. 15:32 They would lie, steal, cheat. 15:34 They'll do everything to satisfy the nature that is 15:38 crying out like an addict for the things that just bring 15:42 that individual self-satisfaction. 15:46 Something else we also have to keep in mind is, 15:49 the nature of Adam, look at this picture, 15:52 the nature that we are born with is first an enslaving power. 15:56 Say that with me. Is an enslaving power. 15:59 And then it is a controlling power. 16:02 It enslaves. 16:04 It gets a hold of you. 16:07 It's like putting a dog on a leash and walking him. 16:09 Dogs don't necessarily want to go where their 16:12 owners want them to go. 16:14 But because they're on a leash, they have no choice. 16:16 When sin handcuffs us, it takes us where we may not want to go, 16:22 but because we're handcuffed to that nature 16:24 we have no choice. 16:26 I talked about that last night. Romans 7:17 16:28 "It is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." 16:32 When sin handcuffs us, like a slave, it first enslaves us... 16:40 ...then it controls us. 16:42 And screaming and crying we go into the direction 16:46 that that nature is going to take us naturally. 16:51 If you don't believe that, notice how the Bible says it. 16:55 And I tried to illustrate this in the 16:58 English Standard Version. 16:59 This is a paraphrase of Romans 7:15, 17:02 but I like the way it says it. 17:04 It makes it very clear. 17:12 Have you ever been there? 17:25 Now the reason I spend two nights on this topic is because, 17:27 we're going to get into other topics, 17:29 but I firmly believe that until you meet Jesus 17:34 I can't, I don't, to tell you about what happens when you die 17:38 and all the other doctrines in the Bible 17:40 means absolutely nothing. 17:42 Because if you're just intellectually absorbing 17:45 things that make you more informed without knowing Christ, 17:48 you'll be the most terrified person. 17:50 And all you'll have to do is look forward to the judgment 17:53 and you'll have no freedom and no peace in your life. 17:58 Sin is enslaving and sin controls. 18:00 That's why sometimes we do things that we hate, 18:02 and we wonder why. 18:04 Because sin is in control. 18:08 And as I mentioned last night, sin is a law. 18:12 Like the law of gravity, sin controls us. 18:16 Like the law of gravity, it cannot be broken 18:20 until another law is put in place. 18:23 That's why I love the words of Jesus. 18:25 When we talk about Jesus came to break that power of 18:29 sin on us, He came to break the controlling power of sin. 18:33 He came to break the chains that holds us to the first Adam 18:37 and connect us to the chains that holds us to the last Adam. 18:41 Now you might say chains are horrible, 18:43 but when you are connected to somebody that only wants to 18:46 do you good, that's a good connection. 18:51 Look at the desire of Christ. Isaiah 58:6 18:58 Look at the wording. It's about slavery. 19:19 But in order for Jesus to break our first connection... 19:23 I want you to get this tonight, because we're going to 19:24 talk about getting connected. 19:25 In order for Jesus to break our first connection, 19:29 He had to take on the same nature that Adam had 19:32 after the fall. 19:34 Not the nature that Adam had before the fall, 19:36 but the nature that Adam had after the fall. 19:39 In order for Jesus to be our Savior, He had to replace Adam. 19:42 To replace Adam, He had to be subject to the very 19:46 same power that controlled Adam. 19:50 And get this. 19:52 You think that it's tough being Jesus? 19:56 He not only had to take on the very same nature that 19:58 controlled Adam, but if that nature led Him to sin, 20:03 every one of us would be lost. 20:06 You talk about agony, you talk about relying on His Father! 20:11 That's why He did not rely on His own human strength, 20:15 but He relied on the very same power that every one of us 20:19 has the privilege of relying on. 20:21 But notice how the Bible made it very clear. 20:24 Look at the comparisons between the Adam that would condemn us 20:27 and the Adam that would free us. 20:29 Here's what the Bible says. 20:47 So Jesus became sin for us. 20:51 - He became what? ~ Sin. 20:53 Notice, He didn't become a sinner. 20:55 He took on the nature. 20:58 The nature and the actions, although one produces the other, 21:02 He had the nature, but praise God, it never produced a sinful 21:08 action in the life of Jesus. 21:12 Not by thought. 21:14 I mean, can you handle that? 21:16 Somebody walks up to you and says, 21:17 "Are you really the Son of God? 21:19 Prove it. Turn these stones to bread." 21:22 You say, "How much bread do you want?" 21:24 No really, think about it. 21:26 The things that Jesus went through in His life, 21:28 most of us could not handle that for a matter of minutes. 21:33 And the devil dogged His path. 21:35 The devil made sure that everything he could 21:37 throw at Jesus, he did. 21:39 Everything he tried to throw at Jesus, he did. 21:42 Notice what the Bible talks about; 21:44 the comparisons between the first and the second. 21:46 "And so it is written," 1 Corinthians 15:45, 21:49 "the first man Adam became a living being." 21:52 That's who God created in the very Garden of Eden. 21:55 "The last Adam," who is Jesus, 22:00 became a live-giving spirit." 22:03 Don't miss it. 22:05 Unless we have Jesus in our lives, 22:07 there is no life-giving spirit. 22:12 Just death. 22:13 Just death. 22:20 I remember years ago when I first began to preach 22:22 this message talking about... 22:23 I broken it into two parts, last night and tonight. 22:26 I talked about the husband last night. 22:27 Remember that? 22:28 We talked about the husband. Remember that? 22:31 And I remember coming to the 3ABN 22:37 General Manager, Mollie Steenson, and she said, 22:39 "Let me see your sermon titles." 22:41 And I said, "Okay, here's my sermon title about the husband. 22:44 You know, the husband has to die in order for us 22:46 to be free to be married to Christ." 22:48 And she said, "Well, what's your sermon titles?" 22:50 Because she knows I like snappy sermon titles. 22:53 I said, "The sermon title is, Kill Your Husband." 22:58 She said, "I like it, but that's much too strong 23:00 for our 3ABN audience. 23:02 Could you change the title?" 23:03 I thought, "Okay, Till Death Do Us Part." 23:07 But when I travel around I still use the title, 23:09 Kill Your Husband. 23:10 And I say, "This is not a suggestion." 23:12 But this is the first step in being freed from the nature 23:16 that has bound us in sin from the time that we were born. 23:20 That's a husband. 23:22 And his name is not Adam. 23:27 Adam was captured by that husband. 23:32 Satan introduced Adam to sin. 23:36 Adam allowed that husband to come in, 23:40 and it became his husband. 23:43 Therefore, he conveyed to all of his children 23:45 the same husband that controlled him. 23:49 But I believe we're going to see Adam in the first resurrection. 23:52 Anybody believe that? 23:54 Because the Lord broke the hold that sin had on Adam, 23:57 even though he lived 930 years to regret 24:01 every decision he ever made. 24:03 Can you imagine, one decision plunged his family into... 24:07 His sons, murder; one killed the other. 24:10 And the day came that he laid his wife to rest. 24:13 And then he saw sin working itself out in his own society 24:18 for 930 years. 24:20 And can you imagine, there are some days when Adam sat down 24:23 and said to himself, "If only, if I had only not done that." 24:30 Well, tonight we're not looking back. 24:32 Tonight we're looking forward. 24:33 Come on, somebody, say amen. 24:35 Jesus did not just die for our sins, but He had to become 24:40 what we are so that He can die our death. 24:44 Look at how the Bible illustrates this. 24:46 1 John 4:10 24:50 And I tell you, that really is love. 24:52 For somebody to die for you while you're a sinner, 24:54 oh, that's love. 25:09 Now that's a huge word. 25:11 What does the word, propitiation, mean? 25:13 The word, propitiation, means, substitute. 25:16 The substitutionary death of Jesus, to make it very clear, 25:20 Jesus took our place. 25:21 When you read about the judgment that Jesus went through 25:23 in the gospels, that should have been us. 25:27 Jesus took on our judgment. 25:31 The thorns that Jesus wore on His head, 25:33 those thorns belong to us. 25:36 Why put thorns on the head of a sinless person? 25:39 Because Jesus stepped in our shoes. 25:42 He walked where we should have walked. 25:44 He took the punishment that belonged to us. 25:48 He died in our place. 25:52 Amen. 25:55 Rightfully so, what we would say is, "You did it, 26:00 you pay for it." 26:01 But His love, I want to just talk about this for a moment, 26:03 His love is so great. 26:05 Have you ever looked at earth from the perspective 26:06 of all the other worlds? 26:08 We're just a tiny little speck of dust in a cloud of 26:11 billions of galaxies. 26:13 If God had taken His divine eraser and just erased earth, 26:17 nobody would have missed it. 26:19 But His love for every one of us is so great 26:21 that He could not fathom eternity without us. 26:29 So He sent His Son to take our place, 26:31 a propitiation for our sins. 26:33 Isaiah the prophet says it this way. 26:51 So everything that Jesus went through was because of us. 26:56 He was wounded for our transgressions, our iniquities. 27:00 The peace that we have is because He took the whipping 27:04 that belonged to us; the chastisement of our peace. 27:08 And all the bleeding strips on His back, 27:11 when they tore the robe from His bleeding back 27:13 after the blood had hardened and caused His robe to stick to Him, 27:18 and they peeled it off without any mercy. 27:22 The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. 27:26 And by His stripes. 27:28 The cross He went to was our cross. 27:32 One of my favorite authors in the book, Desire of Ages, 27:34 Ellen White writes these phrases. 27:36 And I tell you, this was so beautifully, 27:41 beautifully communicated. 27:43 Page 25. 28:13 I mean, that's a thought you've got to think about. 28:16 I read a story, a pastor told me this story. 28:20 True story. 28:21 He said he had a very, very unruly son. 28:23 Person I know about. 28:25 I know him very well. 28:27 A contemporary individual. He's still alive. 28:29 He told me this story of how he got his son to behave. 28:32 His son, he just could not get his son to behave. 28:36 So one day his son did something terrible. 28:38 And he said, "Go to your room. I'll be there in a moment." 28:40 He knew the belt was coming off, time to get a whipping. 28:44 But that day his father took off his shirt, 28:47 the dad took off his own shirt, and laid across the bed 28:51 and gave his son the strap, and he said, "Hit me." 28:55 He said, "Dad, why?" 28:56 He said, "Hit me." 28:59 He said, "Why?" 29:00 "Hit me as hard as you want to, because of what you did. 29:03 Hit me." 29:05 And that son stood there, he said, and balled and cried. 29:09 And he couldn't hit his father once. 29:13 The dad said, "I didn't have to worry about him 29:16 from that day on." 29:19 "By His stripes we are healed." 29:22 Jesus did that for the whole world. 29:26 He laid across the bed of eternity, and He said to hell, 29:33 "Hit Me." 29:35 And the demons of hell unleashed on Him 29:38 with all the demonic force they can, 29:40 every element of hatred they could. 29:43 And they didn't stop hitting, and they didn't stop hitting, 29:47 and they didn't stop hitting. 29:48 They hit until they exhausted themselves. 29:52 And then they nailed Him to a cross 29:54 and tried to keep Him in. 29:56 But I say today, praise God, He's no longer in that tomb. 30:01 But they hit Him. 30:02 They did what He did not deserve. 30:06 Every sin that Jesus faced, He did it because He loved us. 30:11 The apostle Peter says it this way. 30:29 Jesus didn't just walk in our flesh. 30:33 What I've come to learn as I get older 30:36 is that Jesus also understands our weaknesses. 30:40 He understands that we are but flesh. 30:43 He understands when we fail. 30:45 He understands that in our human flesh... 30:48 That's why the apostle says, "I would rather boast 30:51 in my infirmity, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 30:54 Because when I am weak, He is strong." 30:57 Jesus is always strong. 31:00 But notice how the Bible illustrates this. 31:03 He understands when we fail. 31:05 Look at this. 31:07 Hebrews 4:15 31:21 Somebody said to me once, "How could Jesus be 31:23 tempted just like we are? 31:24 They didn't have crack cocaine in those days." 31:28 Every sin is in one of three categories: 31:31 the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, 31:34 and the pride of life. 31:35 Adam and Eve were tempted in only three areas. 31:38 She saw the tree was good for food, 31:40 pleasant to the eyes, a tree desirable to make one wise. 31:43 Only three areas. 31:45 And then the Bible says in 1 John 2:15, 31:47 "All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, 31:49 the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." 31:51 Every sin that is ever committed falls into 31:54 one of those three categories. 31:55 That's why Jesus was tempted in all points. 31:57 How many temptations? Three. 32:00 Only three. 32:01 He was tempted in all points, yet without sin. 32:04 You know why? 32:05 It was not that Jesus said, "Oh, I can make it through this." 32:07 He was thinking about us. 32:17 He crucified Adam's nature so that we can 32:19 one day have His nature. 32:20 You know what encourages me? 32:23 One day I am going to be just like Jesus. 32:26 Every one of us one day will be just like Jesus. 32:30 He's begun a work in us and He's not going to finish it 32:33 until He's completed. 32:35 Isn't that right? 32:37 But the assurance is in this verse. 32:39 Romans 6:5-6 32:46 We've got to die in order to break that power 32:49 from that old nature. 32:51 Before we are connected to the new nature we first have to die. 32:54 The old nature has to die. And here's the promise. 33:24 Slaves of sin. 33:26 In other words, when we submit ourselves to Christ 33:29 and enter into a covenant relationship with Him, 33:32 that old man is dead. 33:35 And we now enter into a new relationship. 33:38 And we can look back at the things that we once were held 33:41 captive by and not even have a taste or desire for it. 33:49 But you can never have that experience 33:51 until you submit yourself to the power that alone 33:54 can deliver you, break the connection, 33:56 and enter you into a relationship 33:59 that keeps you free and no longer slaves to the past. 34:03 So the question is, "Why did Jesus have to die?" 34:05 Look at Romans 6:7. 34:12 We often think, "sins." 34:15 But, "sin." The nature. 34:17 The what? The nature. 34:19 The clothing. 34:20 The very nature that held us. 34:22 The way we think, the way we move, the way we live. 34:27 When we are freed from sin, the chains of the past are broken, 34:32 the sins of the past are forgiven, 34:35 the condemnation of our past is removed, 34:39 the controlling power over sin is broken. 34:43 But there's a part that we must play. 34:45 There's a part that we must play. 34:47 There's something we must do in order to step out of the old 34:51 and into the new. 34:53 We have another topic coming up in about five or six nights 34:56 that I'm going to give you the third portion of it. 34:59 I gave you part one last night, part two tonight, 35:03 and in a few more nights I'm going to give you part three. 35:06 Because there's a part that every one of us must play. 35:09 But the first thing we must do, and the reason why this text 35:12 is important is because until you admit you have a problem, 35:16 you can't get help. 35:18 Amen? 35:19 The hardest thing for human nature is to say, 35:22 "I've done wrong. I need help. 35:24 I don't have the power to live right." 35:27 And you know what? 35:28 The longer you take to make that decision, 35:30 the more recalcitrant your nature becomes. 35:33 Almost to the point where you're calcified. 35:35 And you can't even admit that there's a problem. 35:40 But the Bible says in 1 John 1:9... 35:59 Because if I kept saying, "all," it still couldn't be sufficient. 36:06 You ever seen, Extreme Home Makeover? 36:10 They take these houses that look like you should just 36:13 torch them and burn them up. 36:15 My wife and I like the HG channel because it's always a... 36:18 That entire channel, most of the programs are about redemption, 36:21 but they don't know it. 36:24 You know, you walk in a house and say, 36:25 "Look at that. How much is it?" 36:26 "It's worth $15,000." 36:28 And they turn it into an $80,000 castle, and it's beautiful. 36:32 And you say, "Is that the same floors?" 36:33 And you look, "Oohhh!" 36:35 If man could do that with brick and stones and paint, 36:39 what can Jesus do with His perfect character? 36:44 We are under construction, and one day we will stand before God 36:49 when Jesus has completed His extreme home makeover. 36:54 That's what He does. That's what He does. 36:58 Notice what happens. 36:59 When we are broken, when the power is broken 37:02 that use to hold us, notice how the relationship changes. 37:06 Romans 8:1-2 37:22 Before I go to the very next verse, 37:24 when the bonds of the past are broken, you've got to 37:28 choose to walk differently. 37:31 Am I telling the truth? 37:32 You can't go back to that bar to see if you're over alcoholism. 37:37 You can't peruse the internet on pornographic websites 37:40 to see if that no longer appeals to you. 37:42 You've got to make a covenant with your life 37:44 and with your eyes. 37:46 You've got to walk through the mall and choose what to see 37:49 and what not to see. 37:50 Because you know what? 37:51 Our world is designed to keep your mind corrupt. 37:55 You've got to turn the music when it comes on 37:57 that you know you shouldn't be listening to. 37:59 You've got to refuse to watch shows like, Lucifer, 38:01 and all these horrible demonic shows on television. 38:05 You've got to make sure that the mind that God has kept clean. 38:08 That's why the Bible says, "He that has this hope 38:10 in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure." 38:14 Like mama, I remember when growing up 38:16 my mother would clean the house. 38:17 And she'd go out to the store, she'd say, "Keep it clean." 38:22 You ever had that before? 38:25 Oh, Lord have mercy. 38:26 One day my sister and I, when we were younger, 38:28 we had a curry rice fight. 38:32 Just so happened we were sitting at the table eating curry. 38:35 We were eating rice that was made with curry. 38:37 And I threw some at her, and she threw some at me. 38:40 And the kid sitting next to her threw some at me, 38:43 and the kid sitting next to me threw some at them. 38:45 And before you know it, there was curry rice 38:47 all over the walls of the kitchen. 38:53 When mama got home, we understood what she meant. 38:57 Just put it that way. 38:59 She gave us a bucket and four sponges, 39:03 and she said, "You're not going to bed 39:05 until every bit of curry is gone." 39:09 That was the first and the last time 39:12 we ever had a curry rice fight. 39:15 But watch this. You've got to make decisions. 39:16 Here's my point. 39:18 When the Lord cleans you up, you have to make decisions 39:20 to stay clean. 39:23 And every one of us has the power to make choices. 39:27 You've got to walk not according to the flesh, 39:30 but according to the Spirit. 39:31 And here's the reason why the freedom is so possible. 39:43 So many pastors think this is talking about the commandments, 39:47 and it is not. 39:49 When it says, "The law of the Spirit of life," 39:51 that means the power available through Christ is like a law. 39:55 This means, once you're connected, 39:57 it's going to stay powerful. 39:59 Once you disconnect, the power shuts off. 40:01 The law of sin and death, once you're connected, 40:03 it's in control. 40:04 Once you disconnect, there's no more power on you. 40:06 So when the Lord disconnects us from the law of sin and death, 40:09 it can't control us because He connects us to the 40:12 law of the Spirit of life, which now controls us for good. 40:15 And both of them are laws, because it means the law 40:18 cannot be violated, it cannot be broken. 40:21 So the only one that can make the difference is, 40:23 He has to break the connection to the old law, 40:26 the thing that controls us, so we can be connected 40:29 to the new law. 40:31 Not the commandments, but the controlling nature. 40:35 That's why this text is often misunderstood. 40:37 Romans 6:14 40:41 "...dominion..." That means power and control. 40:49 People think that has to do with the commandments. 40:51 So they say, "If you get rid of the commandments, 40:53 you're saved by grace." 40:55 No, you're not. 40:58 Why would people be preaching salvation today 41:02 if there were no commandments. 41:05 Salvation from what? 41:06 And the pastor will say, "From sin." 41:08 How can you say that somebody needs salvation from sin 41:11 if you tell them that there is no law. 41:15 I got stopped by the police a few times. 41:18 Unscheduled stops. 41:22 I was going through Indiana on my way to New York 41:24 when my dad passed away. 41:26 My natural father, when he passed away. 41:28 I was going through Indiana. 41:29 And this was before I bought an actual in-dash GPS. 41:32 And I was doing 87 miles an hour. 41:35 And I got pulled over by a highway patrolman. 41:37 Now in most cases 87 miles an hour means 41:40 you are not driving from this point. 41:42 Your car is going to be impounded, 41:43 you're going to spend your night in jail, 41:45 or they're going to do something that 41:47 you're not getting back on the road. 41:48 Well the officer came to me and he said, 41:50 "License, registration, insurance." 41:54 And he came back, he said, 41:56 "Could you tell me why you were speeding?" 42:00 I said, "You know, honestly officer, 42:02 I was looking down at my GPS." 42:04 It was my laptop. 42:05 It was before this, you know. It was a while ago. 42:08 "I was looking down at my laptop and I honestly didn't 42:10 see what the speed was." 42:11 He said, "Do you know how fast you were going?" 42:15 "No." 42:16 He said, "Eighty-seven miles an hour. 42:20 Give me your registration and your insurance. 42:22 I'll be right back." 42:24 He came back and he said, "I tell you what." 42:30 He went like this with my license, registration, 42:32 insurance; he gave it to me, he says, 42:33 "I tell you what. 42:35 You keep it down, we'll call it a night. 42:36 Is that okay?" 42:41 Now watch this. 42:42 Do I say, "Thank you, officer." 42:48 I drove 54 miles an hour for a long time in a 65 zone. 42:56 That's grace. 42:58 Come on, somebody. That's grace. 43:00 We don't need grace if there's no law. 43:03 So you can't preach grace if you say that 43:06 the law is done away with. 43:08 But when it talks about we are no longer under the law, 43:10 it has no more dominion over us, that means it doesn't 43:13 control us any longer. 43:16 The power of sin is broken. 43:17 Jesus is the power that moves in. 43:19 The control of sin is removed. 43:21 Jesus now moves in and takes control. 43:24 Sin no longer dominates us. 43:27 Sin no longer commands us. 43:28 Sin no longer has authority over us. 43:32 - Amen? ~ Amen. 43:34 Well how is that possible? 43:37 When Jesus rose from the grave, He declared 43:41 not only His liberty, but He declared to the entire world 43:44 that He had something that being victorious over sin 43:48 give Him the right to possess. 43:50 Notice what He said in Matthew 28:18. 44:04 My message to you tonight, as we talk about the connection, 44:07 here's the transition, we can be connected to all power 44:10 because Jesus has all power. 44:15 So don't tell me that you have to sin. 44:17 Some people say... That song that... 44:19 We've sung this song, "I'm only human. 44:23 I'm just a man." 44:25 No, don't say that. 44:27 When you accept Jesus, you become a partaker 44:30 of His divine nature. 44:33 Having escaped the world, and the lust of... 44:37 You become partakers of a power that you never had before. 44:41 So don't walk around and say, "Well, you know, 44:43 we're all sinners saved by grace." 44:45 Oswell Chambers said, "If you're not a saint, 44:47 the question is, why not?" 44:49 Because Jesus didn't come to keep us as sinners, 44:52 He came to transfer us from sinners to saints. 44:56 And, "saint," doesn't mean, perfect; 44:59 a saint is one perfect in the righteousness of Christ. 45:06 Which gives me daily assurance. 45:08 And the saddest thing to be is to be a Christian 45:10 that has no assurance. 45:13 When we die to that nature, when we take hold of the 45:16 power of Christ, then and only then does this text 45:19 really come into being. 45:21 Philippians 4:13, I can do how many things? 45:24 I can do how many things? 45:36 I did a sermon not too long ago about conversion. 45:42 Not just forgiveness, not just repentance, 45:46 but conversion. 45:48 Because we can ask for forgiveness 45:50 and not be converted. 45:51 We can ask for forgiveness and not repent. 45:55 Forgiveness, repentance, and conversion. 45:59 When we are converted, we are converted because the strength 46:02 of Christ is abiding in us, working through us, 46:06 so that we can live day by day and allow the image of Christ 46:11 to abide in us. 46:13 Now this is a strange question. 46:15 I forgot my glove tonight. 46:17 But does anybody in here think that Phoenix is 46:20 cold enough to have a glove? 46:23 Does anybody have a glove in here tonight? 46:26 - You have a glove? ~ Yes. 46:27 Give me that glove. 46:29 Give me that glove. I need that. 46:31 But you've got to be quick. 46:32 You've got it? Thank the Lord. 46:34 Okay, she's got a pair of gloves here. 46:36 If it doesn't fit, you must acquit. 46:42 Now I don't know how big your hands are, 46:44 but this is going to be a very terrible illustration. 46:48 This is the new life. 46:50 See my hand? 46:54 I'll buy you another pair of gloves if I pop them. 46:57 My wife will buy you another pair of gloves. 47:00 Do you see my hand? 47:03 No. 47:05 Do you see my hand? 47:07 Is my hand there? 47:09 But it's covered by the righteousness of Jesus. 47:14 This is the new life. 47:17 Christ is now operating in this lifeless... 47:21 This is me without Christ. 47:24 Can't do anything. 47:25 I'm going to drop your glove. I don't disrespect you. 47:27 That's me without Christ. No power at all. 47:29 But this is me when Christ moves in. 47:31 Amen, somebody? 47:35 Without Christ, we are powerless. 47:38 We are powerless. 47:39 We are what? Powerless. 47:42 So when you accept Jesus Christ, it's not an opportunity 47:45 to do the second time what you could not do the first time. 47:47 Notice Romans very carefully. Let's move on. 47:50 1 Corinthians 15:49. Let's go to that first. 47:53 Here's what the Bible say. Very carefully. 48:07 That means you use to be this way, but when you are in Christ 48:11 you will now come out this way. 48:14 When the sin power is broken that kept you connected to that, 48:18 Jesus comes in and now allows His power in you, 48:22 as you submit yourself daily to that power, 48:25 to bring you to this side. 48:27 Moving quickly. 48:28 Moving quickly, Romans 8:9-10. 48:31 Look at them both together. 48:53 The body is dead because of sin. 48:57 But the Spirit comes in and there's life 48:59 because of righteousness. 49:02 You see, this body, that sin nature 49:04 has lost its power over you. 49:05 What kind of power did it have? 49:07 Look at who we were and who we have become in Christ. 49:10 Now you might get disgusted by your past, 49:12 but I've got to show you this to appreciate 49:14 what Christ does in us. 49:15 Here we are, Galatians 5:19-21. 49:46 Are you exhausted like I am? 49:49 That's a horrible list. 49:50 That's what the old nature does to us. 49:53 And you know what? We have no power to stop 49:55 those things from happening once we connect to that nature. 49:58 As I said, we do things we never thought we would ever do. 50:01 But when we are in Christ, we do things 50:03 we thought we never could do. 50:05 But look at the other side of that. 50:06 When the Spirit of God comes in. 50:24 In other words, nothing can prevent that 50:26 from happening in your life. 50:28 Amen, somebody. 50:30 And when it happens, our standing before God changes. 50:34 We use to be enemies, but we are no longer enemies. 50:37 We changes our standing from a failing individual 50:40 to a royal child of the most high God. 50:44 1 Peter 2:9. Oh, I love this passage. 50:48 This is the after effect of being connected to Christ. 50:52 Let's read this together. 51:10 That means you love the things you hated 51:13 and you hate the things you loved. 51:15 You embrace the life that you once despised, 51:20 and now you despise the life you once embraced. 51:26 Christ came in to change your direction 51:28 and also to transform your affections. 51:30 And that very heart that could not fathom living for Christ 51:34 has been renewed. 51:35 Why? Because you prayed out of a sincere heart 51:38 this very prayer... 51:41 Psalm 51:10 51:50 Tonight I'm going to invite Stephanie to come, 51:53 and Dan, as they come to the piano. 51:55 I'm going to read a particular passage, then I'm going to 51:57 tell you a wonderful story about how God transforms life. 52:00 You see, every one of us is in process. 52:03 And the Lord wants to change our hearts and transform us; 52:06 make us brand new in Him. 52:08 And I love the fact that He's working on us. 52:11 That heart that was once connected to sin is now a 52:14 heart that's connected to the righteousness of God. 52:17 The love relationship holds us bound to the God 52:21 who now connects us to all the power we need 52:24 to live above the power of sin. 52:27 And then we read these words. 52:38 Look at this. 52:42 When are we children of God? Now. 52:57 Amen? 52:59 I'm going to make an appeal as 53:00 Stephanie sings this song tonight. 53:02 And this is, first, intellectual. 53:03 But I'm going to appeal to your heart. 53:05 I know that tonight we've come 53:07 longing to know more about Christ. 53:10 But as Stephanie sings this song, 53:13 if there's somebody tonight that wants to say, 53:15 "Lord Jesus, I want to break from the power of my past 53:21 and I want to live and abide in the power that You have 53:24 made available to me." 53:27 If there's somebody here tonight that wants to experience 53:29 the abundant life that comes only through Jesus, 53:32 while Stephanie sings I want to pray for you tonight. 53:36 And wherever you may be, just don't think about anybody else. 53:38 Think about your own walk with Christ. 53:40 Wherever you may be, just come out tonight. 53:43 Just come down front and I want to pray with you 53:45 as Stephanie sings this song. 53:46 It's about your walk with Christ. 53:48 Nobody else's. 53:52 Jesus, keep me near the cross, 54:00 there a precious fountain; 54:08 free to all, a healing stream 54:16 flows from Calvary's mountain. 54:24 In the cross, in the cross, 54:31 be my glory ever, 54:39 till my raptured soul shall find 54:46 rest beyond the river. 54:54 Just before Stephanie sings the next verse, 54:56 if there's somebody else, just come on down. 54:58 We want to take hold of the power that wants to 55:00 transform and change our lives tonight. 55:04 Anybody else, as she sings the next verse. 55:06 Go ahead, Stephanie. 55:18 Near the cross, a trembling soul, 55:24 Love and Mercy found me; 55:31 there the bright and morning star 55:38 sheds its beams around me. 55:45 In the cross, in the cross, 55:52 be my glory ever, 55:59 till my raptured soul shall find 56:07 rest beyond the river. 56:16 Dan, play softly for me. 56:20 Is there somebody else here tonight that wants to say, 56:22 "Jesus, I want that power that You've made available to me 56:27 to transform my life." 56:29 Maybe there's somebody here tonight that want to 56:30 recommit himself or herself to renewing your walk 56:35 with Christ tonight. 56:37 The opportunity is extended to you. 56:40 If you're watching and you want to submit yourself to Christ, 56:43 contact us at 3ABN, go to our 3abnphoenix.com website 56:48 and inform us about your decision 56:51 so that we can contact you and pray with you. 56:54 Is there somebody else here tonight that wants to 56:55 stay with Christ? 56:58 If you want to keep trusting the Lord with your life, 57:00 why don't you stand with me tonight. 57:03 That invitation is made to every one of us. 57:07 That invitation is for all who want new life in Christ. 57:11 Our loving Father in heaven, these precious souls 57:13 have come tonight. 57:16 They've come because they sense their own personal 57:18 need to be near the cross, to be in the cross, 57:25 to have Christ transform them and move them beyond 57:29 just a life that has intermittent power to the 57:33 life that will have all power. 57:36 And so strengthen us tonight, Lord Jesus, 57:39 as we make a commitment to You to take us from 57:41 where You have found us to a place where our 57:45 lives will be transformed. 57:46 And then we will be able through our lives 57:49 to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness 57:54 into this marvelous light. 57:57 We thank You, Lord, for breaking the bonds of the past, 58:00 for renewing our walk with You, 58:03 for showing us that we don't have to remain slaves 58:06 to our habits, and practices, and desires, and sins 58:08 that have made a havoc of us. 58:12 But we can know that we are forgiven 58:14 and we are Your children now. 58:17 And the kingdom is being prepared for every one of us. 58:21 So Father, we thank You and we praise You for these decisions. 58:27 But may there be more. 58:28 As the doors of eternity are still open to us tonight, 58:31 may there be more transformations 58:34 and more commitments to Christ. 58:37 We thank You for Jesus, 58:39 for the power that He has for us. 58:41 May we live that others may come to know Him. 58:46 This is our prayer, that when Jesus comes 58:50 we will be in that redeemed host. 58:53 In Christ's name we pray. 58:56 And all of God's people said, "Amen." |
Revised 2018-07-11