Participants: Mike Lemon (Host)
Series Code: SCS
Program Code: SCS000006
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00:33 Chapter 6 Faith and Acceptance.
00:38 Hello and welcome to Steps to Christ in Song. 00:40 Today, we're gonna be looking at faith and 00:42 acceptance. When we talk about faith in the 00:45 Bible, we are not talking about faith 00:46 just in something you can't see. 00:49 But, is actually faith in something you've 00:51 never felt, something you've never experienced, 00:54 it's about a change of your behavior, the 00:56 the change of your lifestyle, it's kind a 00:59 like telling a caterpillar that one day he is gonna fly. 01:02 And it's true; one day he will be able to fly 01:05 when he turns into a butterfly. And that's a 01:07 kind of faith that we are to have in Jesus 01:09 Christ that he can completely transform 01:12 us from what we are as sinful human beings 01:16 into a character like the character of Jesus. 01:20 Before we get into this very important 01:22 topic, I'm gonna ask Michael to lead us in 01:25 a word of prayer. Okay, dear my father. 01:29 God I just wanna ask that you just please 01:31 help us to be able to accept to what you 01:34 have told us we need to change and Lord 01:37 not to just expect feelings or emotions, 01:41 but that we would expect change in a 01:43 sense, but slowly like Mr. Lemon said as a 01:46 caterpillar turns into a butterfly. 01:48 And God I just I wanna ask you just please 01:50 change us more in more like Jesus, 01:52 in Jesus name we pray, Amen. Amen, Amen. 01:56 Do you feel like your life is just completely 01:58 hopeless? Do you long to be forgiven 02:02 and set free from sin and guilt. God has 02:05 promised that he would do this. In first 02:08 John 1 verse 9 were it says; if we confess 02:11 our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us 02:14 our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 02:18 Now I know what you are thing, you probably 02:20 thinking this is way too good to be true. 02:22 But, it is because God said it. Really the only 02:27 difference between someone who is 02:29 forgiven and free from guilt and someone who is 02:32 under the cloud of condemnation is their faith. 02:37 God, freely offers forgiveness to all. 02:40 But, it is only those who believe in him 02:44 that receive the gift. I wanna encourage you 02:46 today to receive that precious gift. 03:06 Once I stood in the night with my head 03:12 bowed low In the darkness, as 03:17 black as could be And my heart felt alone 03:26 And I cried oh Lord Don't hide your face from me 03:40 Hold my hand all the way Every hour every day 03:48 From here to the great unknown, Take my hand 04:00 Let me stand Where no one stands alone 04:12 Like a king I may live in a palace so tall 04:21 With great riches to call my own 04:30 But I don't know a thing In this whole wide world 04:38 That's worse then being alone 04:47 Hold me hand all the way Every hour, every day 04:55 From here to the great unknown, Take my hand 05:09 Let me stand Where no one stands alone 05:21 Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand 05:31 I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm worn, Through the storm, 05:43 through the night Lead me on to the light 05:50 Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me home, 06:00 Never give up, Jesus is coming! 06:08 It's the darkest just before dawn. 06:15 Never give up, Jesus is coming! 06:23 Never give up, just Keep holding on. 06:39 There are days, I know, when you get 06:43 so discouraged, It seems that all hope is gone. 06:53 But There's One Who can give you courage, 07:01 And strength to carry on. 07:08 Never give up, Jesus is coming! 07:15 It's the darkest just before dawn. 07:22 Never give up, Jesus is coming! 07:30 Never give up, just Keep holding on. 07:40 Take my hand, let me stand Where no one stands alone. 08:08 I know that Brad told me a story about his 08:09 family and how they went through a dark 08:12 time, but they kept on holding on to the faith 08:15 that Jesus would answer their prayer, 08:17 you want to tell us about that. 08:18 Oh! Sure. Well, this happen when I was 08:21 about 10 years old and me, my two brothers, 08:24 Wesley and Alex, we were out riding our 08:27 bikes on a driveway and Wesley and I decided 08:30 that we want to go and try and do something else. 08:32 So, when we put our bikes away we just 08:34 want to go inside when my mom came 08:36 out and she ask us, where our little 08:38 brother Alex was. He is about three years 08:40 old at the time and we said we didn't know 08:43 and so we went out and we started looking 08:46 for him and actually while we can still can 08:49 find him, so when we went around the 08:51 house went to the front of the house and 08:53 out front we have this little pond with a little 08:55 fountain in it. And we went there and we 08:59 saw him he was all blue, face down in the 09:02 water and my mom quickly ran and 09:06 grabbed him and pulled him out and she told 09:09 me to go find my dad because he was at 09:11 home, it was his day off and he was a doctor so. 09:15 I ran and got him, he came running off and 09:17 started doing CPR and my mom went 09:20 and she called 911 and she told us all to 09:23 to kneel down and started praying and 09:26 soon the ambulance came and took him to 09:28 the hospital, but the amazing thing is that 09:31 he had been in the water for so long and 09:34 even from that he didn't suffer any brain 09:36 damage or anything. Amen. Is there a promise in 09:40 the Bible that goes along with that? 09:42 Oh! Yeah in Mark 11:24 it says, 09:47 Therefore I say to you, whatever things 09:49 you ask when you pray, believe that you 09:52 receive them, and you will have them. 09:55 But, isn't their condition to receiving 09:59 the things we pray for? Oh! Well in John 5:14 10:03 it says; Now this is the confidence that 10:05 we have in Him, that if we ask anything 10:08 according to His will, He hears us. 10:12 So, that's telling us that there is a condition 10:14 that we should ask according to his will. 10:16 So, sometimes it is the will of God to 10:20 heal and to bring life. Is there a possibility 10:25 that there is a time when it's God's will 10:27 for him not to bring life for someone to die? 10:32 Well, I know for me when I was about 9 years old 10:36 I had a little sister, who was still born 10:40 and when I first heard she had died. 10:43 I just was struck with sadness because 10:47 I could not comprehend why a God of love 10:52 could allow a perfect little baby to die 10:56 without even having a chance. When my parents 11:00 named her they named her Estherho because 11:03 in the Bible it talks about Esther saying if 11:07 I perish I perish. She totally left her life in 11:12 God's hands and also we have the hope of 11:15 seeing her again on the resurrection day. 11:18 And he, we may have questions because we 11:24 don't see the whole picture, but because 11:26 God sees the whole picture that's why he 11:28 allow things to happen and now I can just 11:32 totally imagine what it will be like in 11:34 heaven because my parents will be able to 11:37 raise Esther in an environment that is 11:40 totally free from the sin and sorrow 11:44 that this world has to offer. 11:47 Have you ever asked God for forgiveness, 11:49 but not yet full forgiven. What you need is faith. 11:54 The Apostle Paul says the faith is the substance 11:57 of things hope for and the evidence 11:59 of things not seen. So, the moment that you 12:02 accept his promise, you receive the gift. 12:05 You will have to wait until you feel worthy 12:08 because forgiveness is a gift that we don't 12:10 deserve and can never earn. We may not understand 12:14 everything about God's plan to save us. 12:17 But, the more we read his word, he will 12:19 reveal everything to us in time. 12:21 So, you believe in Jesus, you can start rejoicing 12:24 right now because you have eternal life. 12:30 Prayer is the key to heaven Thy faith unlocks the door 12:43 Words are so easily spoken But prayer without faith is 12:54 Like a boat without an oar Have faith when you speak 13:03 to the Master That's all He'll ask you for 13:13 Prayer is the key to heaven but faith unlocks the door 13:28 God's word is the key to knowledge and 13:36 faith unlocks the door If you can grasp what 13:46 is written, And doubts crowd 13:52 your mind and it's too hard to trust His word 13:59 Have faith God will show you the answer. 14:07 His eye when he sees best. God's word is the key 14:16 to knowledge and faith unlocks the door. 14:35 You know Jonathan faith is like a hand 14:38 that grasps on to the promises of God. 14:42 It is as it says in the song the key that 14:44 unlocks the door. But, that kind of faith says 14:48 that I see myself as valuable that God 14:51 really does love me and that he wants me 14:55 to be in heaven. How do you relate to that 15:00 idea of faith and His wanting you to be there. 15:05 Well, lately as I have been reading the book 15:07 Steps to Christ. God's really been teaching 15:10 me a lot about believing in his promises about 15:14 accepting his salvation through faith and 15:17 about how we can receive the gift of 15:21 eternal life just through surrendering to him 15:24 and believing that he has given that gift to us. 15:28 But, as usual when God starts working in 15:32 some ones life, Satan always launches a 15:36 counter attack. And so he began filling my 15:40 mind with all these doubts and I just 15:43 began wondering how can I believe that God 15:48 somewhere up in the universe is actually 15:51 giving me personally the gift of eternal life. 15:56 I mean, how in a world can I believe 15:59 that my name is being written in the book of 16:02 life up in heaven and I can't even see it, it's 16:05 somewhere up their and how is that just 16:09 by believing we receive that gift. 16:12 You know, I was reading further in the 16:14 book Steps to Christ in the chapter Faith 16:16 and Acceptance and I came across this 16:19 passage that really helped my faith to 16:23 grow, really helped me to believe that God 16:27 has given me the gift of eternal life. 16:30 It says With the rich promises of the Bible 16:34 before you, can you give place to doubt? 16:37 Can you believe that when the poor sinner 16:40 longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, 16:44 the Lord sternly withholds him from 16:46 coming to His feet in repentance? So, when 16:49 I give myself to Jesus when I come to him 16:52 and ask him Jesus save me, is he gonna 16:56 say no Jonathan I need you to stay right 16:59 there, don't come any closer you can't have 17:02 the gift of eternal life, I mean that's 17:04 ridiculous that's not the kind of God that we serve. 17:08 Jesus died on the cross, so that each one 17:11 of us can have that gift. He longs for each one 17:16 of us to live eternally with him. It reminds 17:20 me of the story of the prodigal son and when 17:26 the son was out in the world living his wild 17:29 life and then feeding the pigs the father was 17:32 at home longing for his son to return to 17:35 him to come home and then when the son 17:39 did decide to come home and the father 17:42 saw him coming in the distance did the 17:45 father say to a servant, okay servant I need 17:47 you to go out and tell my son he has to go 17:49 back to the pigs, he can't come home he 17:52 has been too sinful, now that's not what 17:55 the Bible says. The Bible says that he ran 17:58 toward his son and he embraced him and he 18:01 kissed him. And that's the way it is with 18:05 God, he longs for us to return to him and 18:09 he longs to give us that gift of salvation. 18:13 And he won't, he won't withhold that 18:16 gift from anyone, who truly asks him for it. 18:19 Amen, what a promise. 18:23 Some are afraid to come to God because 18:26 they know that sin displeases Him. 18:29 They forget that God hates sin, but he loves 18:33 the sinner. So, they don't need to be afraid. 18:36 Through the prophet Ezekiel God says for 18:39 I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies. 18:43 Says the Lord God, therefore turn and live. 18:49 Jesus tells a parable of a prodigal son, who 18:51 asked for his inheritance before his father died. 18:55 So, that he could spend it on extravagant living. 18:59 Once his money was gone, he lost all of his 19:03 fair-weather friends and ended up working 19:06 in a pig farm and eating pigs' food. 19:10 He decided to take his chances and return to 19:13 his father to ask for a job as a servant. 19:17 When his father saw him coming he raised 19:19 out and embraced him rejoicing that his son 19:22 had retuned. Then he promptly called for a 19:26 big party and reinstated him as his son. 19:30 This is how God will treat us if 19:32 we come to him just as we are. 19:36 I've wandered far away from God, 19:45 Now I'm coming home; The paths of sin too 19:56 long I've trod, Lord, I'm coming home. 20:08 Coming home, coming home, Nevermore to roam, 20:23 Open wide Thine arms of love, Lord, I'm coming home. 20:37 I've wasted many precious years, 20:46 Now I'm coming home; I now repent with bitter tears, 21:01 Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home, coming home, 21:16 Nevermore to roam, Open wide Thine arms of love, 21:31 Lord, I'm coming home. My only hope, my only plea, 21:47 Now I'm coming home; That Jesus died, and died for me. 22:02 Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home, coming home, 22:17 Nevermore to roam, Open wide Thine arms of love, 22:32 Lord, I'm coming home. I need His cleansing blood, 22:45 I know, Now I'm coming home; 22:53 O wash me whiter than the snow, 23:02 Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home, coming home, 23:17 Nevermore to roam, Open wide Thine arms of love, 23:32 Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home, coming home, 23:49 Nevermore to roam, Open wide Thine 24:02 arms of love, Lord, I'm coming home. 24:21 Jesus is giving you the opportunity to 24:23 come home into his arms of love. 24:27 Sometimes, we feel that we are so sinful 24:29 that we can't even ask God to save us. 24:33 But, you now, Jesus takes us just the way 24:35 we are. The Bible says in Luke 11 verse 9 ask, 24:40 and it shall be given to you. Jesus wants 24:42 you to ask him for that gift. 24:46 Now having that kind of faith Jonathan means 24:49 that we have a relationship. Michael you told me a 24:51 story about a relationship that you have 24:54 with your grandparents. You wanna talk to us about that? 24:57 I have been looking forward to the Junior-Senior 25:00 campout earlier and I had also been looking 25:02 forward to my sister's Grad, but then I found 25:05 out that there are gonna be both within 25:07 the same time period. And so I had to make 25:10 a choice, I had to decide whether I go to 25:13 my sister's Grad or the campout. 25:16 And then my grandparents called me and told me 25:18 that they are willing to pick me up on the 25:20 way down and bring me to my sister's Grad, 25:23 but I'd still have to miss the campout, so 25:27 I had to decide whether well which one 25:29 was more important. And I decided that my 25:33 sister's Grad was more important, so 25:35 I got packed and couple of weeks later 25:38 my grandparents came and as I was 25:40 going out to the car I told to one of my 25:42 friend's Robby, bye have fun on the 25:45 campout and then I put my stuff in the 25:48 back of the car and we headed out. 25:50 And my grandma asks me about the campout 25:53 and I told her that it was the one for this 25:56 year and then about 10-15 minutes down the road. 26:00 She ask me Michael do you really want to 26:02 go on that campout. I told I did, so she is 26:06 like okay. So, my grandpa turned 26:08 around and they drove me back and my 26:12 grandma paid for my Greyhound ticket 26:14 down to Portland and I realize you know 26:19 I didn't have the greatest communication skills 26:22 with my grandparents, but they gave so much 26:24 for me and they loved me so much and the 26:29 more I thought about that the more I realized 26:32 it happens with me and God sometimes too. 26:35 Umm! Umm! Sometimes, I don't 26:37 spend the most time with him and I don't 26:40 think about him a lot, and yet he gives me 26:41 so many blessings throughout the day. 26:43 And he gives me friends and everything 26:46 else I can imagine and it just seems so 26:50 amazing that he does that for us. 26:52 So, faith is really not about our goodness, 26:55 but it is about God's goodness towards us. 26:57 Umm! Umm! And I think about Jesus how 26:59 good he was when he was on earth 27:02 everywhere he went there was healing and 27:04 people had faith in him except his 27:06 hometown, which is really strange that was 27:09 one place, where people didn't have a 27:11 great deal of faith in him and I think that 27:14 we should close our time together with a 27:17 word of prayer in asking God to give us 27:19 more faith in him and his promises. 27:21 Let's pray together. Heavenly Father I pray 27:26 that you will give us an increase of faith. 27:30 Help us to not only have faith that you are 27:34 gonna fulfill your promises, but have faith 27:37 in your goodness, have faith in your 27:39 love and we know that when we think of 27:41 Jesus and the price that he paid on 27:45 Calvary that we know that your love is 27:48 constant towards us and we can have faith 27:52 in you because you are faithful 27:54 in Jesus name we pray, amen. 27:59 Steps to Christ in Song is a 13 part series 28:02 from Fountain View Productions designed to be an easy 28:05 non-threatening way to share the good news about Jesus Christ 28:08 with friends, relatives and co-workers. 28:11 Order your copies now by calling 1-877-490-4141 or 28:18 visit us online at www.fountainviewproductions.com. 28:24 Steps to Christ in Song is also available at your local 28:28 ABC Christian Book Store. |
Revised 2014-12-17