Participants:
Series Code: PTL
Program Code: PTL000011A
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00:49 The Paradise Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:52 has the privilege of welcoming each and every one of you 00:56 in television land, whether you're watching on 00:59 Three Angels Broadcasting Network, 01:01 whether you're watching on YouTube, 01:03 whether you are watching streaming live, 01:07 or on Good News TV, welcome to Phoenix, Arizona 01:11 for meeting number eleven of fifteen in Pathways to Life. 01:17 This evening's broadcast is one that will be a joy 01:24 to anybody who has more past than we wish to speak about. 01:30 If you have a past you wish you could get rid of, 01:33 tonight is fantastic news. 01:35 You will want to stay with us for Pastor Lomacang's 01:39 message tonight. 01:41 Before he does that, one of Paradise Valley's own, 01:44 Jackie Battistone, will be singing for us 01:47 a song called, No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus. 01:51 She's accompanied at the piano by Phil Draper. 01:55 And when that message in song is completed, 02:00 Pastor Lomacang will be coming to talk to us about 02:03 washing away your past. 02:06 But before we invite them to come forward, 02:08 as is our custom here, let's begin with a word of prayer. 02:13 Gracious heavenly Father, we thank You 02:18 for the many blessings you have been giving us 02:21 meeting by meeting in this Pathways To Life series. 02:27 And we pray that again in this meeting Your Spirit would lead, 02:32 Your Spirit would bless, and that we would be drawn 02:35 to the Scriptures and find comfort for our souls. 02:40 Bless us now as we study. 02:42 And we Thank You, for we've asked it in Jesus' name. 02:46 Amen. 03:01 I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus, 03:09 since I found in Him a friend so strong and true. 03:17 I would tell you how He's changed my life completely; 03:26 He did something that no other friend could do. 03:35 No one ever cared for me like Jesus, 03:44 there's no other friend so kind as He. 03:52 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 04:03 O how much He cares for me. 04:20 Every day He comes to me with new assurance, 04:28 more and more I understand His words of love. 04:36 But I'll never know just why He came to save me, 04:44 till some day I see His blessed face above. 04:53 No one ever cared for me like Jesus, 05:02 there's no other friend so kind as He. 05:10 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 05:21 O how much He cares, O how much He cares, 05:30 O how much He cares for me. 05:54 Thank you, Jackie. 05:55 - Can we say amen again? ~ Amen. 05:58 Wonderful song. 06:00 No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus. 06:03 And I know that's true about every one of us. 06:06 It's such a blessing to hear that song. 06:08 And we welcome those of you who are here locally 06:11 and those of you who are tuning in from around the world. 06:14 I'm amazed that from night to night whenever I stand up here 06:17 the Lord gives me the strength that I need. 06:19 But I never presume that I have the knowledge that I need. 06:23 I always need to pray and ask for the Lord to give me wisdom. 06:25 So bow your heads tonight with me as we go 06:29 to the Lord in prayer. 06:32 Loving Father in heaven, thank You. 06:34 Thank You for the privilege of sharing a message of 06:39 meeting and knowing Jesus. 06:43 Father, tonight as we talk about washing away the past, 06:48 we pray that we could inventory our lives and see there is 06:51 no better joy than to know that our past has been washed away 06:57 by the blood of the Lamb. 07:00 And thank You, Lord, for giving us the privilege and opportunity 07:02 for new beginnings. 07:04 Take this message tonight and find fertile soil. 07:07 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 07:13 Tonight I want to begin with a particular scripture that is 07:15 really, really important. 07:17 But before we go to that, I want to tell you a very short story. 07:21 I did not know my mother until I was almost 26 years old. 07:25 I did not know my father until I was almost 13 years old. 07:30 Did not know my natural parents. 07:32 And I had a struggle with my identity 07:35 growing up as a young boy. 07:36 And I remember listening to a radio program. 07:39 Maybe you have heard her name. 07:41 Dr. Laura Schlessinger 07:44 She used to be on the radio. Very significant counselor. 07:47 And a young lady called in, and Dr. Laura is listening 07:50 to this young lady as she was complaining about 07:52 what her mother didn't give to her. 07:53 She said, "My mother and dad didn't give me anything." 07:57 And she was very angry. 07:59 And Dr. Laura broke in and said, 08:01 "What did your parents give to you?" 08:04 And she said, "Nothing." 08:05 She said, "Young lady, what did your parents give to you?" 08:08 She said, "They didn't give me anything." 08:10 She said, "They did give you something. 08:12 What did they give to you?" 08:13 She said, "Young lady, your parents gave you life. 08:18 Take that life and do something with it, 08:21 and stop complaining about your past." 08:25 And you know, as a young boy, as a teenager, 08:28 that helped me begin to put into perspective, 08:30 as I was trying to find out who I am, 08:32 not knowing my natural parents, that helped me put into 08:35 perspective, we can spend so much time trying to sort out 08:40 our past or we can embrace the fact that we have life, 08:44 or that we have a new life in Jesus. 08:47 And as Dr. Laura says, we can take that life and 08:50 do something with it. 08:53 But that's not an easy question. 08:54 Because in one of the most famous chapters in the Bible, 08:58 John 3, where John 3:16 is, 09:02 the story of Nicodemus begins that chapter, 09:04 and many people don't know that when Jesus 09:07 repeated the words that now are John 3:16, 09:10 the most famous verse in the world, 09:13 that He was talking to an older man who was a Pharisee. 09:16 Notice the conversation. 09:18 He said to this man... 09:19 And by the way, the Bible says that when Nicodemus 09:22 came to Jesus, he came to Jesus by night. 09:27 And I say it's better to come to Jesus by night 09:29 than not to come to Him at all. 09:33 When your life is dark and hope is dark, 09:35 and hope seems to be slipping away, 09:37 and your understanding is dark, and the future 09:39 doesn't seem to make sense, 09:41 a good time to come to Jesus is when your life is dark. 09:46 Very religious man, He came to Jesus. 09:49 And Jesus said that he needed a new beginning. 09:53 We'll talk about that in just a moment. 09:55 But here's the question that is very significant 09:58 for the entire presentation tonight. 10:01 "Nicodemus said to Him," that is to Jesus... 10:14 Now Nicodemus was very well educated. 10:17 He was a Pharisee. 10:19 He was not intellectually ignorant. 10:21 He may have understood biology, but he was spiritually inept. 10:26 And he knew that Jesus was saying, and here's the point... 10:29 Oh, thank You, Lord, for this point. 10:31 We are never too old to be born again. 10:38 And you'll discover that one of the greatest barriers 10:40 in Christianity today is that like Nicodemus 10:44 people have been doing religious things for so long 10:49 that they become accustomed to the religion in their lives, 10:53 but they never meet Jesus. 10:55 They are never born again. 10:58 Think about it for a moment. 10:59 Nicodemus was a Jewish Pharisee. 11:01 He kept the Sabbath, but he did not know Jesus. 11:04 He had the right diet, but he did not know Jesus. 11:08 He understood all the ceremonial and moral laws, 11:11 but he did not know Jesus. 11:14 And here he is, advanced in years, and Jesus says to him, 11:19 "You need a new beginning." 11:21 And he says, "Can it happen when I'm old?" 11:25 Well let me say to you tonight, and those of you that may be 11:27 listening and watching the program, 11:29 we are never too old to come to Jesus. 11:33 As I told you a few nights ago, that couple that 11:35 came to our church, one was 78 and one was 79, 11:39 came from the Presbyterian church. 11:41 Just walked into our church at 3ABN, and the question that this 11:46 elder of 40 years, he was an elder in the Presbyterian church 11:49 for 40 years, he says to me, 11:53 "How old is too old to be baptized?" 11:57 And I said, "As long as you're breathing, 11:59 you can be baptized." 12:00 And he and his wife got baptized. 12:02 And their son and their daughter-in-law thought 12:04 they had lost their mind. 12:07 They said, "Dad, you have lost your mind." 12:09 Well we studied with them and baptized them two months later. 12:13 When the truth of Jesus Christ comes to us, 12:15 it's never too late to begin again. 12:18 It is never too late to wash away our past. 12:22 I like the way that David the psalmist 12:23 says it in Psalm 103:12. 12:25 He says, "As far as the east is from the west, 12:30 so far has He removed our transgressions from us." 12:35 And I think it's in Micah 11:7 where the Bible says 12:39 He will cast our sins into the depths of the sea 12:43 and put out a, "No fishing," sign. 12:46 You didn't get that. 12:48 I added the last part. 12:51 I am so glad that there are certain parts of the ocean 12:53 where man cannot go. 12:55 That's where my sins are found. 12:57 What about yours? 12:59 The Lord removes our sins, throws them into the 13:02 Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean, 13:04 and says, "You better not go down there." 13:09 Praise the Lord for that. 13:10 But as we dive into this very important topic of 13:13 beginning again, one of the things that we have to 13:15 keep in mind, which was the battle in Nicodemus' life, 13:18 is that Nicodemus was intellectually stimulated. 13:22 He was very well educated. 13:24 He knew what religion was all about, 13:26 but he did not know Jesus. 13:28 And one of the dangers of modern religion today is this: 13:32 So many people are comfortable with 13:35 what religion gives to them. 13:36 And so people go church shopping. 13:38 Some people say, "I like the choir in that church. 13:41 I like the music program." 13:43 Other people say, "I like the community program 13:45 that church has." 13:47 Some people say, "You know, it's really nice. 13:49 This church is so connected to the college, the universities." 13:52 "I like the pastor's sermons." 13:54 He talks about, you know, maybe like Pastor Joel Osteen, 13:56 he talks about how your ship is coming in, 13:58 how your future is going to be bright. 14:00 And we have all these reasons to sometimes 14:03 choose to design our own religion. 14:07 But one of the dangers in modern religion is this: 14:11 Many Christians, quote unquote, have been busy in things 14:17 of Christianity but have not had a connection with Jesus. 14:22 And the danger in the last days is to do religious things 14:25 but never have a connection with Jesus. 14:27 That's the reason why Jesus wrote these words as He did 14:30 in Matthew 7:21-23. 14:33 This is a very significant caution 14:37 to the Christians of the last days. 14:38 Notice what He said. 14:50 This is a sad verse. 15:08 And then the saddest of all verses, verse 23. 15:23 Christianity is far more important than religion. 15:29 Because in these last days we are told we are living in the 15:32 last church of the seven churches of Revelation. 15:35 We're living just before the coming of Jesus. 15:37 And the words of Jesus were, "Take heed that 15:39 no one deceives you." 15:41 Which means religion today can be, in many respects, 15:45 deceptive, giving us the things we like 15:49 by leaving out a relationship with Jesus. 15:52 And let me make a point that I did a few nights ago. 15:54 It is not possible to have a relationship with Jesus 15:57 and have truth deleted from that relationship. 16:02 If you have a relationship with Jesus, 16:04 it has to be based on His Holy Spirit 16:06 and the truth of His Word. 16:10 But the Bible is clear about the conditions of the last days. 16:12 Notice Isaiah the prophet. 16:14 Very striking comparison to religion today. 16:20 Speaking of the last days. 16:25 Look at this. 16:27 "We will eat our own food..." 16:29 That is, our own doctrines. 16:31 "...our own..." 16:33 "...and wear our own apparel..." 16:36 Our own righteousness. 16:39 But what do I want from you? 16:45 "...to take away our reproach." 16:47 And today people are being called, Christians, 16:50 but they have their own righteousness, 16:53 their own brand of religion, they have their own doctrines. 16:56 They pick from the Word of God. 16:58 That's why, if you think about it today, you have phrases like, 17:01 "New Testament church." 17:03 Which means you don't read the Old Testament. 17:05 Which means you don't understand seven-eighths of the Bible. 17:11 Then you have churches that say, "We are non-denominational." 17:14 Which means, "We don't talk about doctrines." 17:16 Well in fact, I told you, when you go to a bank 17:18 and ask for change for a hundred dollar bill, 17:20 it's going to be some denomination. 17:22 Am I right? 17:24 So there's no way to be a religion and not be 17:26 connected to some denomination. 17:28 Many years ago when we were in the Heritage Singers, 17:30 my wife and I, we did a concert there at the 17:33 Crystal Cathedral in southern California. 17:36 And Robert Schuller said his church was a 17:37 non-denominational church. 17:39 But in the bulletin in the foyer it said, 17:41 "We are non-denominational. 17:42 However, we teach the doctrines of the 17:45 holy mother church, the Roman Catholic Church." 17:48 So every church is connected to some denomination 17:50 by their beliefs. 17:52 But the Bible says in the last days people will say, 17:55 "I want my own doctrines." 17:56 And there are those that say, "I want the Sabbath. 17:59 I don't want the Sabbath." 18:00 "I believe in the state of the dead, but I do believe, 18:02 no, I don't believe in that. 18:04 I believe that people die and go to heaven." 18:06 "I don't believe in the fact that you can eat anything." 18:08 But some people say, "Well you can eat anything." 18:10 Designer religion is a deception of the last days. 18:14 Nothing to me is more important than knowing 18:17 that what I follow and what I believe 18:20 and who I follow will end up with me being saved eternally. 18:27 That's all I want to be. 18:28 That's why the Lord made it clear. 18:29 Notice His words. 18:31 These appeal to Christians of the last days. 18:41 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord'?" 18:42 And there are many Christians today, that's why there's 18:44 so much religious controversy. 18:47 Because, "I'll call you, 'Lord,' 18:49 but don't tell me to do anything. 18:52 I'll do what I want to do." 18:53 There are people that have been in the church many, many years. 18:55 They do what they want to do. 18:57 And the sad reality is this: 19:00 Like Cain, they bring a sacrifice of their own desire 19:05 to God, and they say, "Accept it." 19:07 And He says, "No, I will not." 19:11 And from the days of Cain and Abel, there have always been 19:14 two groups of worshipers. 19:16 Those that give God what He asks for, 19:19 and those that give God what He wants. 19:22 What He does not want. 19:25 And we've got to make sure, by God's grace, 19:27 that we are in the proper category. 19:28 Amen, somebody. 19:30 That's why when the Spirit of God comes into our lives, 19:32 notice what the Bible says He will do. 19:34 When you pray for the Holy Spirit's leading. 19:42 Whenever truth is revealed to you and you reject it, 19:44 you cannot be saying you are led by the Spirit of God. 19:49 Because He will not guide you into some, but how much? 19:51 All. 20:02 That's why we have to follow Jesus. 20:05 Because when you follow Jesus, the journey is clear. 20:08 When Jesus went out selecting disciples, 20:10 when He came to Peter and Andrew his brother... 20:15 This is very important. 20:17 And I want to make a point before I read the scripture. 20:19 When He came to Peter and Andrew, 20:21 He said to them what He's going to say to every one of us. 20:25 And you know, the greatest danger in our lives 20:29 is when Jesus invites us to follow Him, 20:31 and we say, "Not now." 20:36 If the woman who was bleeding for twelve years 20:38 had chosen not to follow Jesus when He passed through town, 20:41 that was His last journey through that town. 20:44 If the ten blind men who, out of ten of them, 20:49 one came back and thanked the Lord, 20:51 that was the last journey Jesus took through that town. 20:58 And you never know when your last invitation 21:00 is going to be extended. 21:02 So that's why when Jesus invited Peter and Andrew, 21:05 notice what the Bible says. 21:10 Now we like fishers of men, 21:11 but here's the point I want to emphasize. 21:13 That's why I highlighted that. 21:14 "Follow Me and I will make you..." 21:16 Here's my point. 21:17 Until you follow Jesus, you will never be made 21:22 after the character of Jesus. 21:24 You will maintain your own way of life. 21:32 What did they do? 21:38 The woman at the well, the very same thing. 21:41 When she met Jesus, He wasn't going back to that 21:44 well every again. 21:45 The city of Sychar outside the region of Capernaum, 21:51 that was the only time Jesus went to Sychar. 21:54 And He met the woman at the well. 21:55 And when she accepted Him, on that one visit, 21:59 the lives of the entire village were changed 22:02 because she accepted Jesus the moment 22:04 He extended the invitation, "Give Me some water to drink." 22:07 That's why I've been speaking from night to night 22:09 using the Word of God. 22:11 Amen, somebody. 22:12 Using the Word of God. 22:13 We cannot be a people that wants to design 22:16 our way of worshiping God. 22:19 We've got to put down our way and accept His way. 22:23 My wife and I went to the airport once, 22:24 we were on our way to North Dakota. 22:26 I was speaking at the college there. 22:28 And about a month earlier they invited Spike Lee. 22:31 You may have heard about him. 22:33 If you have, great. 22:34 If not, I don't have time to qualify that. 22:36 But a very well-known young man from New York City. 22:40 And they gave him $25,000 to speak for 45 minutes. 22:45 They invited me there and just paid my expenses for an hour. 22:50 But here's the point. 22:51 I was invited to speak to the very same group of people 22:54 that he was invited to speak to. 22:55 And they invited me to this public university to speak to 22:58 a class of social workers to come. 23:00 About 130 students. 23:02 They said they could ask me any question I wanted. 23:06 And in that public forum, they allowed me to tell 23:09 about the truths and the beliefs that I had. 23:12 And the students afterward said to me, 23:15 "Spike Lee was here last week. 23:17 But you were far better than he was." 23:20 And I had to ask, "How much did they pay him?" 23:22 They said $25,000. 23:25 I said, "Did they forget my address?" 23:26 No I didn't say that. 23:28 But here's my point. 23:30 I went there and told them the truth. 23:35 And I took materials with me knowing I'd never go back 23:38 to North Dakota, the University of North Dakota. 23:40 I took, Steps to Christ. I took some booklets. 23:43 I gave out to every student, and my business cards. 23:46 Because when you plant those seeds, the Lord will bless them. 23:51 And now to this very day I am a soldier of the cross. 23:54 Thank the Lord He's mellowed me as I've gotten older. 23:59 I use to be a bulldozer in religion. 24:00 God has mellowed me now. 24:02 I talk more about the love of Jesus, 24:03 but I still tell the truth. 24:06 Here's the reason why. 24:08 John 17:17 24:15 It's so important to know that the truth of God's Word 24:19 must be in the practice of our Christianity. 24:23 And I'm speaking to those 24:24 that may be of different denominations, 24:26 or I may be talking just to Seventh-day Adventists. 24:30 But the reason I'm broadening the spectrum tonight 24:32 is because I know very well, because I was one of them. 24:36 I use to come to church and sit down and listen to the sermons 24:39 from Sabbath to Sabbath, and I was so far from Jesus 24:42 I couldn't see Him with a telescope. 24:46 I'd come to church Sabbath after Sabbath 24:48 out of obligation, because I was told from a child, 24:51 "Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy." 24:52 So there I trotted every Sabbath into church. 24:55 Didn't eat this, didn't wear that. 24:57 Didn't do this, didn't do that. 24:59 And I was as lost as a man that had just 25:02 killed an entire village of people. 25:06 But I got involved in prison ministry. 25:08 And I found that prisoners were sometimes more free 25:11 than the people in my church. 25:16 So that's why I preach Jesus the way that I do. 25:18 But I don't leave the truth out. 25:19 Because you know what? 25:21 I want to be able to know that I can see. 25:24 One of the greatest dangers is that we cannot 25:26 see what God is trying to show us. 25:28 The Bible makes it clear in John 9:39. 25:42 And now why would He do that? 25:45 Because there are those that rely on their natural sight. 25:48 I've met a lot of them. 25:50 You know what they say? 25:52 You show them the Sabbath, they say, "Well I can't see that." 25:57 You show them what the Bible teaches about how to dress, 26:01 and how to live, and what not to wear and what to wear, 26:04 and they say, "I can't see that." 26:07 You show them how to eat and how not to eat, 26:10 "I can't see that." 26:12 Well that's no surprise to me. 26:15 Because it's no surprise to Jesus. 26:17 Because you can't see it doesn't make it not truth. 26:22 Notice the words of Jesus. 26:23 The same thing He said to Nicodemus. 26:25 Until you're born again, there are certain things 26:27 you'll never be able to see. 26:41 Let's not go too fast. 26:43 He cannot see. 26:44 You will never see certain things unless you're born again. 26:50 Because natural things are naturally discerned, 26:52 but spiritual things are spiritually discerned. 26:55 You'll never understand the deep things of God. 26:59 I think it's Amos 3:6. 27:00 The Bible says, "Surely the Lord God does nothing 27:04 except He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets." 27:08 He doesn't reveal secrets to people that are 27:10 not a part of His family. 27:15 But when you align yourself with Jesus, 27:18 then things that you will never see will become clear. 27:23 We have people in our church in Thompsonville 27:27 that when they accepted the Sabbath, 27:29 from week to week more things become clear. 27:34 When they stop fighting the truth that God revealed, 27:36 all of a sudden, it's like an artichoke. 27:38 The leaves are being moved out of the way, 27:41 and they keep getting deeper and deeper 27:43 into the artichoke of God's Word. 27:45 But if you don't take that artichoke of truth 27:47 into your hands and begin to peel it back, 27:50 one truth after the other, you'll never get to the heart 27:54 of what God has in store for you. 27:56 Amen? 27:57 But some people say... 27:58 The Lord says, "Here's the artichoke of truth," 28:00 you say, "I don't want it." 28:01 You'll never get to the artichoke heart until you 28:04 peel back all the truths on the way there. 28:08 Am I right? 28:09 Notice what Jesus said. 28:11 John 9:40-41 28:21 Religious people asking that question. 28:32 You know what that means? 28:34 They were saying to Jesus, they were saying to Jesus, 28:38 "You can't show us something that we don't already know." 28:43 So He said, "Well, then you'll never see it. 28:45 Because you say you see. 28:47 If you say you didn't understand it, 28:49 then I could show it to you." 28:51 That's the same thing some of the Jews said 28:53 when Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am." 28:56 And they said, "How old are you?" 28:58 He could have said, "You really want to know how old I am?" 29:03 Now that's what we would have done. Right? 29:06 "You really want to know how old I am? 29:07 I'm 79,654 millions years old. 29:11 How old are you?" 29:14 But that's the challenge. 29:16 People that think they see it all will not see it all. 29:21 Because they see it without being born again. 29:25 And what happens? Their sin remains. 29:28 What does Jesus want from us, brothers and sisters? 29:30 Here's what He wants. 2 Corinthians 8:12 29:44 If you can be willing... 29:46 If you can be what? Willing. 29:48 The Lord is not looking for perfect people. 29:50 He's not looking for everybody that's got it all together. 29:52 Let me say it slowly like you can understand it. 29:54 He's not looking for everybody that has it all together. 29:59 He's looking for somebody who wants to follow somebody 30:02 who has it all together. 30:04 But you've got to be willing. 30:06 You've got to be what? Willing. 30:08 Being born again only happens if you're willing. 30:12 Willing to do what? 30:13 Notice. Willing to do what? 30:15 You've got be willing to follow... 30:17 Say it together. 30:18 You have to be willing to do what? 30:20 Follow God's Word. 30:22 Here's the reason. 30:23 Here is the reason. 30:27 1 John 1:7 30:47 Let me make that even clearer. 30:49 If you walk in the light, you're not in the dark. 30:53 And you have something that's deeper than friendship. 30:56 You have fellowship. 30:59 Let me make my point even clearer. 31:01 We talk about friendship evangelism. 31:03 What we should have is fellowship evangelism. 31:07 Because friendships are conditional. 31:12 I'm your friend because you like me. 31:14 I'm not your friend because you don't like me. 31:17 Fellowship is way higher than friendship. 31:21 Because fellowship happens when you're in the light 31:24 and the other person is in the light. 31:26 The Lord shines His light on both of you 31:28 and you are both following Jesus, who is the light. 31:34 And when you're both in the light, you're not looking at 31:38 who he's following. 31:39 You're looking at who you're following, 31:41 and he's looking at who he's following. 31:43 You're not looking at each other. 31:45 You're looking at Him. 31:47 We need to look less at each other. 31:48 Because you know what? Every one of us is in process. 31:53 Did you hear what I said? 31:54 The Lord is working on every one of us. 31:58 Not a one of you tonight is perfect. 32:01 This is not a message about perfection. 32:03 This is a message about, do you want to have the walk 32:05 that Jesus knows that you can experience. 32:10 And it will only happen if you put you down 32:12 and allow Jesus to enter your life. 32:15 That's why religion can give you only certain views, 32:18 but Christianity will give you the understanding 32:21 which alone can allow you to see the message of the kingdom. 32:25 The second thing is not only willing to follow God's Word, 32:29 but you have to be willing to do what? 32:32 You have to be willing to be born again. 32:37 Not only does not being born again affect your sight, 32:43 but it affects your entrance. 32:47 They tell me that heaven has twelve gates. 32:49 You know what? 32:50 I really don't care which gate I go into. 32:54 As long as I go in one of them. 32:57 Am I right? 32:58 And when you study the twelve gates in heaven, 33:00 you'll discover that every one of those gates 33:02 identify a particular weakness in our lives. 33:06 For example, Asher, the Bible says, "His bread shall be fat 33:10 and his table will yield royal dainties." 33:12 Asher is the one with the problem with appetite. 33:15 But Asher overcame. Amen. 33:18 God gave Asher dandelions in the time of trouble to eat 33:23 so he could fit in his gate. 33:29 Simeon and Levi loved to fight. 33:35 But they're mentioned in Revelation. 33:36 They overcame their temper. 33:38 And God's got them walking in the gate in harmony. 33:42 Zebulun was business minded. 33:44 He's the guy, if he made $24.95, he'll give God $2.49 tithe. 33:51 Couldn't even give Him a penny more. 33:54 The business-minded one. 33:55 Always trying to keep things for himself. 33:57 Reuben, unstable as water. 34:00 You cannot get him to do anything. 34:01 One moment he's over here, the next moment he's over there. 34:04 But he's mentioned in Revelation. 34:05 You know who's not mentioned in Revelation? 34:07 I don't have the time to go through all twelve sons. 34:09 But the one that's not mentioned in Revelation 34:11 that's in Genesis 49 is the man called Dan. 34:15 The Bible says Dan will be a serpent by the way, 34:18 a viper in the past. 34:19 He bites the horses heal so the rider falls back. 34:23 Dan is that man that concentrates on your sin, 34:26 not his own sin. 34:28 And when he sees your progressing, 34:30 he bites the heal of your horse so you can fall off of it 34:33 and you'll never get to where God is sending you. 34:35 So watch out when you're critical about other people 34:37 because that's the Dan spirit. 34:40 I'd rather have an issue with appetite 34:42 than an issue with criticism. 34:43 But here's what the Bible says happens when you're born again. 34:57 When you're born in baptism, baptism, water baptism, 35:03 is not separate from Holy Spirit baptism. 35:07 There's churches today that say, 35:09 "Just baptize in the name of Jesus." 35:11 No, the Lord Jesus Himself said baptize in the name of 35:15 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 35:17 When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended 35:20 in the form of a dove and lighted upon Him. 35:23 And the Bible says His Father said, "This is My beloved Son 35:26 in whom I am well pleased." 35:27 All I want is for the Lord to be well pleased with me. 35:31 What about you? 35:32 Not only should we desire to be born again, 35:35 but unless we're born again we cannot enter. 35:39 And the point is, you may live that life you have 35:41 become comfortable with, 35:43 you may even be like a Nicodemus, 35:44 you've been doing this for a long time, 35:47 but unless you are born again you will not enter heaven. 35:50 You'll have religion, and you might have a good life, 35:52 but you will not enter the kingdom. 35:54 Tonight our message is about getting ready to enter. 35:57 As Elder Brooks said, we preach an evacuation message. 36:02 Praise the Lord. 36:03 Not only being willing to be born again, 36:04 but you have to be willing to trust God. 36:07 Say that with me. Willing to do what? 36:09 You've got to be willing to trust God. 36:11 So many of us only trust our intellect. 36:17 A highly educated person without Jesus is a dangerous person. 36:23 If you worship intellect, the only one that's 36:27 more intellectual than Satan is God. 36:32 Satan is second in intellect only to the Almighty God. 36:38 I don't want second. I want first. 36:42 That's why if you lack wisdom, 36:43 ask of God and He'll give it to you. 36:45 But we've got to trust God. 36:46 Let me tell you why this is important. 36:48 When the Lord says, "Give Me your life, 36:50 and I want to give you a new beginning," 36:52 you know what people ask? 36:54 "Well, how am I going to live?" 36:57 "What about my job?" 36:59 "What about my friends?" 37:02 "What do I have to give up?" 37:06 Let me tell you something. 37:08 What you give up is nothing compared to what you get back. 37:17 You live on a tiny little grain of sand called planet earth, 37:21 almost impossibly distinguishable 37:24 when you get to the moon. 37:27 And we're fighting over this little dusty planet 37:29 that's laden with sin. 37:30 And God wants to give us illimitable space. 37:34 And things that our eyes have never seen, 37:36 our ears have never heard of, 37:38 and our minds have never even conceived, 37:40 and we ask, "Well, do I have to give up my alcohol 37:43 to follow You?" 37:44 Well let's see now. Wait. 37:46 I'm going to give you eternal life, and you want a drink. 37:52 "Do I have to give up my cigarettes?" 37:54 No. You and your cigarettes, you both have 37:58 something in common later on. 38:01 Let me make a point. 38:02 At the end of this journey there are only two seats. 38:06 Smoking and non-smoking. 38:10 You'll get in on tomorrow. 38:13 I want to be in the non-smoking seat. 38:15 What about you? 38:16 You want to smoke? There will be a smoking seat. 38:20 That's the point. 38:22 Going to hell for a stick of tobacco 38:26 that does nothing but send your lungs into a tizzy. 38:30 And that's not a medical term either. 38:33 Willing to trust God. 38:35 God will give you a future. 38:37 God will give you a job. 38:39 He'll give you a job better than you could ever have. 38:42 You know why? I'm telling you my story. 38:44 I worked at banks and law firms and insurance companies 38:46 in the Wall Street area. 38:48 That's what I use to do. 38:50 And I went nowhere but Brooklyn to Manhattan, 38:53 Manhattan to Brooklyn. 38:54 When I gave my life to Jesus, sixty-one countries later, 38:58 on His dime for His glory. 39:03 That's why I preach the way I do. 39:05 I'm experiencing just a glimpse of what God 39:09 has for my wife and me. 39:12 And I refuse to preach a diluted message 39:16 when I know that on the side of Jesus there's 39:18 abundant life forever more. 39:22 I can't tell you how the cake tastes. 39:25 I'm saying, bite it with me. 39:28 I can't tell you about the life I'm living. 39:30 I can say, just get in the ocean and you'll understand 39:32 what it means to float in the blessings of God. 39:37 But so many of us are so inoculated, I mean, intoxicated 39:41 by our way of life that we can't give it up for eternity. 39:45 Lord, have mercy. 39:48 Proverbs 3:5-6 39:56 You don't have to sort out your future. 39:57 Let me tell you something. 39:59 The Lord says, "'I know the thoughts I think towards you,' 40:01 says the Lord. 40:03 'Thoughts of peace and not of evil, 40:05 to give you a future and a...'" What? 40:07 "...and a hope." Who would not want a future. 40:09 And who can work out your future better than God? 40:14 What rich man do you know that counts his cattle by the hills? 40:21 People bragging about the real estate they own. 40:24 God says, "Oh, you own real estate? 40:26 I own galaxies. 40:30 And I took a vacation to come down here and save you guys, 40:33 and you've spurned My invitation 40:35 to show you what else I can give to you." 40:39 You can have this world. 40:41 I'm leaving it sooner or later. 40:43 If you want to go with me, get on board. 40:47 "In all your ways acknowledge Him." 40:49 In your life, in the way you live, and how you eat, 40:52 what you wear, what you don't wear, 40:54 how you love other people, in your employment, 40:57 in the way you use your entertainment. 41:06 You've got to be willing to be baptized. 41:08 You've also got to be willing to be baptized. 41:10 This is just recently. 41:11 My wife and I were over in the Bible lands. 41:14 And that's me on the right there with my glasses on 41:16 in the freezing Jordan River. 41:20 I even got re-baptized that day. 41:22 Just to say I was in the water with Jesus. 41:26 I couldn't care how bad the weather was, 41:28 I was going to go down in the river with Jesus. 41:32 And people are afraid to go down in the water with Jesus. 41:36 Let me tell you something. 41:37 You'll never know what life is like until you 41:38 leave your past in the water with Jesus. 41:41 You've got to be willing to be baptized. 41:44 Notice what the Bible says. 41:45 What is baptism all about? Romans 6:4 41:52 Baptism is a symbol of death. 41:54 Putting that old wicked man to death. 41:57 Let me tell you something. 41:59 Your nature will never give you peace. 42:01 If you think that you can control your human nature, 42:03 you cannot control it. 42:05 As I told you a few nights ago, when you make a choice 42:07 to go in the wrong direction, you become a slave. 42:10 And sin makes you do things that will make you into a fool. 42:15 But Jesus will make you do things, through His power, 42:17 that will make you shine for the glory of eternity. 42:22 We're living in the last days. 42:24 And I don't know when the last call is going to go up, 42:26 but I, to some degree, know what Noah felt like. 42:30 Building an ark, flood is coming, 42:32 world is about to be destroyed. 42:34 "That man has got issues." 42:36 And when the ark's doors closed, the most successful evangelist 42:40 that I've ever known was Noah, when the doors were closed 42:42 his family was on the inside with him. 42:45 But let me tell you something. God has given me hope this time. 42:48 Because there's a number that no man can number 42:49 that's going to be saved. 42:51 I'm going to be in one of those numbers. 42:52 What about you? 42:54 There's room for one more. 42:56 Doesn't make sense to be lost. 43:04 Look at His plan for you. 43:11 What does that mean? Here's what it means. 43:21 What prisoner would not want to be set free? 43:26 But here's the problem. 43:27 Some of us don't think we're prisoners. 43:29 Because we call it, "My way of life." 43:32 "This is the religion I like." 43:37 It's about being free, 43:40 unbound, only tied to Jesus. 43:46 In other words, the life you use to live, 43:47 you no longer identify with that. 43:49 The sin that use to bind you no longer holds you. 43:54 The nature that controls you cannot even find you. 43:58 And the death penalty that condemned you 44:00 is no longer hanging over your head. 44:02 - Can somebody say amen? ~ Amen. 44:04 That's why David the psalmist says it this way. 44:08 Psalm 51:1-2 44:21 He didn't finish there. 44:28 Who wouldn't want that? 44:33 I'd like to tell you more stories, 44:34 but I want to keep preaching. 44:36 Who would not want their past to be completely, thoroughly... 44:41 If everything you ever did was immediately deleted from 44:46 everybody's mind, how good would you feel? 44:51 You'd come to church without reservation. 44:54 Wouldn't you? 44:55 You'd be able to look people in the eyes and say, 44:57 "You don't even remember what I did to you, do you?" 44:59 They'd say, "Who are you?" 45:02 I want anonymity in Jesus. 45:04 Anybody else want that same thing? 45:06 That's why the Lord says these words in 2 Corinthians 5:17. 45:12 Do I have any anyone's here tonight? 45:20 Old attitudes, old lustful practices, 45:24 old cursing, old inebriation. 45:26 The cigarettes are gone, the way you lived is gone, 45:29 the way you hated folk is gone. 45:31 You're a loving person now. Why? 45:33 Because Jesus moved in and transformed your life. 45:43 To be new in Jesus. To be new in Jesus. 45:48 The prerequisite to being in the kingdom is being new in Jesus. 45:53 That's why the Bible says in John 3:6... 46:00 The world is a fleshy place. 46:03 And it's getting corrupter... That's a new word. 46:07 ...corrupter by the moment. 46:12 It's getting dark. 46:14 Just drive down the freeway. 46:15 Smut all over the place. 46:18 On television, people glorifying the next person 46:21 that won the next Oscar. 46:22 I don't want an Oscar, I want a crown of gold. 46:27 I don't want a star on the Hollywood walk of fame 46:29 where a dog will come along and defecate on it. 46:32 That's not fame. 46:34 That's flesh. 46:36 I don't need somebody to glorify me. 46:37 We need to glorify Jesus. 46:40 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh..." 46:42 And you know what? The world gets so excited 46:44 about these temporary things. 46:45 But I want to get excited about the eternal. 46:47 What about you? 46:49 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, 46:50 and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." 46:53 And the flesh cannot understand the Spirit, 46:55 and the Spirit don't want to understand the flesh. 46:57 Because the Spirit knows about the flesh. 46:59 It doesn't want to go there. 47:01 It doesn't want to go there. 47:03 That's why I love the words of Jesus. 47:05 When you accept Jesus, notice what happens. 47:07 John 1:12 47:15 A power that you cannot buy. 47:24 When you get that power, the new life begins with new power. 47:31 You can't find it any place else. 47:34 When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, 47:36 there's something else you can't do. 47:37 You know, when people don't talk about Jesus, 47:39 when people are afraid to talk about Jesus, 47:41 I understand the problem. 47:42 The diagnosis is, you're not born again. 47:47 When you can't tell people about Jesus, 47:48 you are not born again. 47:50 I've got evidence to that. 47:52 Acts 1:8 47:59 And what happens when the Spirit of God 48:02 comes into your life? 48:12 Which means, there is no place that you will be afraid of 48:16 telling people about Jesus. 48:19 Whether you do it verbally or by the life you live. 48:23 There's no place that you would not be afraid 48:27 to talk about Jesus. 48:29 That's why what we need is to be baptized. 48:32 That's the only way that our old man is put to death. 48:34 Romans 6:3 48:46 Into His death. 48:47 But I'm going to put a question out there tonight. 48:49 The questions is, why did Jesus die? 48:53 If He just died to pay for our sins, 48:56 He could have done that from a distance. 48:58 Why did Jesus die? 49:02 Notice the answer found in God's Word. 49:15 That's the first part. 49:17 He stepped into my shoes... 49:20 ...so I could step into His shoes. 49:31 He stepped into my shoes so that one day I could 49:34 step into His shoes. 49:36 He stepped into my sinful nature so that one day I could be 49:39 clothed by His righteous nature. 49:41 Isn't that good news? 49:44 This is a message you can't find at a ten cent store. 49:47 And you don't hear this on television either. 49:50 Joel Osteen ain't telling his congregation this. 49:53 And neither is T. D. Jakes. 49:56 They're trying to get you ready for the next ship that comes in. 49:58 I want to get you ready for Jesus that's soon to come. 50:03 Something else has to happen. 50:05 Romans 6:5 50:08 Look at this blessed assurance. 50:18 Can anybody else say, "certainly," and make it happen 50:21 other than Jesus? 50:27 If you put down that old man, you will be like Jesus. 50:31 And that is for certain. 50:33 A guarantee in the Word of God. 50:36 But there's something else. 50:38 Look at the steps to baptism. 50:40 The first one is what? 50:45 So many people join the church, but they never repent. 50:49 I've got to move quickly tonight. 50:51 Acts 3:19 51:02 When you repent, your sins are blotted out. 51:05 Acts 2:38 51:17 You've got to be willing. 51:19 Secondly, you've got to believe. 51:20 Accept Jesus both as Lord and Savior. 51:23 The Bible says in Mark 16:16... 51:34 That is a guarantee. 51:36 One or the other will be your destiny. 51:39 The third point... 51:44 You've got to make the Word of God 51:45 a part of your everyday life. 51:48 Here's the reason. Matthew 28:20 52:03 Hallelujah to that. 52:05 You've got to learn. But one last thing. 52:08 After you've learned... 52:10 After you've repented, you believed, you've learned, 52:13 the next thing that's left, 52:14 you have to be willing to be baptized. 52:21 Not your idea of righteousness, 52:24 but the righteousness that comes only through Christ Jesus. 52:27 And here it is tonight. 52:29 Let's read this together. Matthew 28:19 52:43 You know what that means when it says, 52:45 "name of," "name of," "name of,"? 52:46 It means, the authority of. 52:48 There is no other authority to change your life 52:51 other than the authority found in the Father, 52:54 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 52:59 But why do we really need to be born again, ultimately? 53:05 Here's the reason. 53:07 Romans 6:7 53:16 Sin no longer binds you. 53:19 Sin no longer controls you. 53:21 Sin no longer condemns you. 53:23 Phil, can you come to the piano? 53:25 Jackie, can you come? 53:27 Tonight I believe there's somebody here that's 53:28 waiting to accept that invitation of Jesus. 53:32 I've come tonight and I hope I've preached with 53:35 pathos and love and conviction 53:38 to let you know, somebody, if you're watching, 53:41 and you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, 53:44 the Savior is waiting. 53:46 As Jackie sings this song I want you tonight 53:48 to be in an attitude of prayer. 53:50 The Savior is waiting. 53:52 But He's not going to wait forever. 53:54 Noah had a certain amount of time left. 53:57 We all have a certain amount of time left. 54:00 As the Savior is waiting, why don't you let Him come in? 54:05 Let pray as Jackie sings this song. 54:08 The Savior is waiting to enter your heart, 54:17 why won't you let Him come in? 54:24 There's nothing in this world to keep you apart; 54:32 what is your answer to Him? 54:39 Time after time He has waited before, 54:47 and now He is waiting again, 54:53 to see if you're willing to open the door. 55:03 O how He wants to come in. 55:10 Friends, as you think about those words tonight, 55:12 you may be watching, you may be listening to the program, 55:15 I believe there's somebody here tonight that wants that 55:18 life that Jesus wants to give to you. 55:21 And I'm going to open the doors of the church, 55:23 if there's somebody here tonight that wants what you don't have; 55:28 an abundant promise, a new life... 55:30 You may have been doing religion for a long time, 55:35 but you want to put down the way that you have been doing 55:37 religion and you want Christ to come into your life tonight, 55:41 why don't you just come down here and join me? 55:43 I want to pray for you tonight. 55:45 Wherever you are, don't ask about anybody, 55:46 don't look for anybody else. 55:48 The doors of the church are open tonight 55:52 if there's somebody here that wants that walk in Jesus Christ. 55:57 You might say as Nicodemus, 55:59 "I've been religious a long time. 56:01 I've been keeping the Sabbath a long time." 56:04 But I'm saying to you tonight, 56:06 your brand, the way you have been living 56:09 that only you and God knows, 56:11 tonight you want that new beginning in Christ. 56:16 I'm praying that the Lord will speak to your heart tonight. 56:20 Not anybody else? 56:21 Don't worry about all the thing that you don't yet understand. 56:23 The Lord will make that clear to you. 56:26 But if tonight you want a new beginning in Christ, 56:28 as Jackie sings this song again, please just come down front. 56:32 Prayer with me. Just come on down. 56:33 Wherever you are, young person, older person, 56:35 God is opening the doors of the church to you tonight. 56:39 If you'll take one step toward the Savior, my friend... 56:46 ~ Just come wherever you are. 56:47 ...you'll find His arms open wide. 56:54 Receive Him, and all of your darkness will end; 57:01 within your heart He'll abide. 57:08 Time after time He has waited before, 57:15 and now He is waiting again, 57:22 to see if you're willing to open the door. 57:32 Oh, how He wants to, oh, how He wants to, 57:41 oh, how He wants to come in. |
Revised 2019-01-14