1 00:00:08,810 --> 00:00:12,270 Matthew 24, and as you know, it's going 2 00:00:12,270 --> 00:00:13,470 to take quite a while to get through 3 00:00:13,470 --> 00:00:15,750 Matthew 24 because there's a lot to talk 4 00:00:15,750 --> 00:00:15,930 about. 5 00:00:16,050 --> 00:00:19,130 We're talking about what does this apply to, 6 00:00:19,370 --> 00:00:21,210 and it's going to take probably a few 7 00:00:21,210 --> 00:00:23,030 weeks, if not maybe a few months to 8 00:00:23,030 --> 00:00:23,830 get through everything. 9 00:00:24,770 --> 00:00:26,430 And I just, the foundation I want to 10 00:00:26,430 --> 00:00:28,510 start with tonight that's going to be the 11 00:00:28,510 --> 00:00:32,350 foundation for the whole series is, do you 12 00:00:32,350 --> 00:00:33,370 take the Bible literally? 13 00:00:34,010 --> 00:00:35,810 So the message is, you don't take the 14 00:00:35,810 --> 00:00:37,330 Bible literally, do you? 15 00:00:38,350 --> 00:00:40,090 Because people say that, you don't take the 16 00:00:40,090 --> 00:00:41,530 Bible literally, Shane, do you? 17 00:00:41,710 --> 00:00:42,470 Yes, I do. 18 00:00:42,850 --> 00:00:43,910 When you're supposed to. 19 00:00:44,490 --> 00:00:45,950 And we're going to cover what that looks 20 00:00:45,950 --> 00:00:46,210 like. 21 00:00:46,550 --> 00:00:47,690 So the title of the message is, you 22 00:00:47,690 --> 00:00:49,490 don't take the Bible literally, do you? 23 00:00:49,530 --> 00:00:51,710 I should have probably just titled it, do 24 00:00:51,710 --> 00:00:52,770 you take the Bible literally? 25 00:00:53,110 --> 00:00:54,130 It would have been much easier. 26 00:00:55,350 --> 00:00:57,110 And it's funny, you'll see this a lot, 27 00:00:57,230 --> 00:00:58,670 like, have you ever watched Bill O'Reilly? 28 00:00:58,810 --> 00:01:00,070 I haven't probably in a few years. 29 00:01:00,070 --> 00:01:01,550 But a lot of those guys on TV, 30 00:01:01,950 --> 00:01:04,110 they'll say, when it comes up the Bible, 31 00:01:04,190 --> 00:01:05,710 it's like, well, you don't take that literally. 32 00:01:06,310 --> 00:01:07,430 You know, you don't have to take that 33 00:01:07,430 --> 00:01:07,830 literally. 34 00:01:08,070 --> 00:01:11,410 And usually the reason people don't want you 35 00:01:11,410 --> 00:01:13,630 to take the Bible literally is because they 36 00:01:13,630 --> 00:01:14,730 don't like the application. 37 00:01:16,570 --> 00:01:18,730 As soon as they like the application, then 38 00:01:18,730 --> 00:01:19,650 you can take it literal. 39 00:01:20,030 --> 00:01:21,610 In other words, I was just in a 40 00:01:21,610 --> 00:01:23,870 memorial service this afternoon, and everybody's talking about 41 00:01:23,870 --> 00:01:24,170 heaven. 42 00:01:24,170 --> 00:01:27,950 Even people who aren't Christians, oh, heaven's this 43 00:01:27,950 --> 00:01:29,670 great, heaven, heaven, hell, we'll see you in 44 00:01:29,670 --> 00:01:29,930 heaven. 45 00:01:30,170 --> 00:01:32,330 And I remember when that one movie star, 46 00:01:32,650 --> 00:01:34,990 Fast and Furious, guy crashed in Santa Clarita 47 00:01:34,990 --> 00:01:35,950 and died. 48 00:01:36,170 --> 00:01:37,730 And a lot of people, you know, we'll 49 00:01:37,730 --> 00:01:38,250 see you in heaven. 50 00:01:38,510 --> 00:01:41,830 But when it comes to hell, no, no, 51 00:01:41,910 --> 00:01:43,210 no, that's all figurative. 52 00:01:43,630 --> 00:01:46,370 Sheol, Gehenna, that was all Old Testament. 53 00:01:46,690 --> 00:01:48,970 Jesus was talking about a garbage dump on 54 00:01:48,970 --> 00:01:50,890 fire, and it truly doesn't apply to us 55 00:01:50,890 --> 00:01:51,130 today. 56 00:01:51,130 --> 00:01:55,110 Well, you can't take heaven literally and then 57 00:01:55,110 --> 00:01:57,430 not take the other side of that literally. 58 00:01:58,470 --> 00:02:00,510 So a lot of people don't want to 59 00:02:00,510 --> 00:02:02,450 take the Bible literally when it comes to 60 00:02:02,450 --> 00:02:03,590 applying it. 61 00:02:04,330 --> 00:02:07,770 When the application challenges their lifestyle, they say, 62 00:02:07,889 --> 00:02:09,930 well, you can't really take that literally. 63 00:02:10,650 --> 00:02:12,050 I just had a couple weeks ago down 64 00:02:12,050 --> 00:02:15,150 in, it was I think about an hour 65 00:02:15,150 --> 00:02:15,550 from here. 66 00:02:15,630 --> 00:02:17,370 I don't remember the exact, maybe Sun Valley, 67 00:02:17,670 --> 00:02:19,070 Panorama City in there. 68 00:02:19,650 --> 00:02:22,130 And I ran into a couple guys, and 69 00:02:22,130 --> 00:02:23,270 they were talking, I overheard them. 70 00:02:23,390 --> 00:02:24,570 Of course, you know me, I kind of 71 00:02:24,570 --> 00:02:25,570 chimed in a little bit. 72 00:02:26,250 --> 00:02:29,030 But with the whole area with homosexuality and 73 00:02:29,030 --> 00:02:32,630 gay marriage, and taking them through Jude and 74 00:02:32,630 --> 00:02:36,550 Genesis and Paul's words in Corinthians, and the 75 00:02:36,550 --> 00:02:41,510 whole Jesus' discourse on fornication, pornea, and what 76 00:02:41,510 --> 00:02:43,170 that looks like, just everything goes, well, those 77 00:02:43,170 --> 00:02:44,670 things you can't really take literally. 78 00:02:44,670 --> 00:02:47,850 You can't, I mean, Shane, he said, you 79 00:02:47,850 --> 00:02:50,030 know, shellfish is an abomination. 80 00:02:50,830 --> 00:02:52,230 And he says homosexuality is an abomination. 81 00:02:52,490 --> 00:02:54,730 Shane, that stuff's not for today, it's not 82 00:02:54,730 --> 00:02:55,270 literal. 83 00:02:56,130 --> 00:02:58,730 But then he would use other passages with 84 00:02:58,730 --> 00:03:00,870 literal application in order to show that those 85 00:03:00,870 --> 00:03:01,470 weren't literal. 86 00:03:02,350 --> 00:03:03,850 So we have to have consistency. 87 00:03:04,190 --> 00:03:06,950 You take the Bible literally, yes, I do. 88 00:03:07,450 --> 00:03:11,170 But there are areas where God will use 89 00:03:11,170 --> 00:03:13,410 metaphors, similes, allegories. 90 00:03:13,410 --> 00:03:15,270 And I hope everybody knows what that is, 91 00:03:15,730 --> 00:03:16,950 because I didn't know what some of those 92 00:03:16,950 --> 00:03:17,850 were until I looked them up. 93 00:03:18,090 --> 00:03:19,150 I mean, I've heard the word metaphor. 94 00:03:19,390 --> 00:03:21,050 You use something to get a point across. 95 00:03:21,350 --> 00:03:23,250 A simile, you show something similar to. 96 00:03:23,670 --> 00:03:25,470 And then allegory, you use a story. 97 00:03:25,710 --> 00:03:27,270 And God uses that through His Word. 98 00:03:27,390 --> 00:03:29,550 But for those of us who study the 99 00:03:29,550 --> 00:03:31,570 Bible, it's not real confusing. 100 00:03:32,170 --> 00:03:34,770 You can tell when it's a literal sentence. 101 00:03:34,850 --> 00:03:36,430 You can tell when it's not. 102 00:03:36,510 --> 00:03:38,350 But then it does get tricky in Revelation 103 00:03:38,350 --> 00:03:39,030 and different things. 104 00:03:39,030 --> 00:03:41,250 So that's what I'm hoping to uncover. 105 00:03:41,510 --> 00:03:42,990 And it's an exhausting study. 106 00:03:43,490 --> 00:03:44,990 Because there's just so much. 107 00:03:45,930 --> 00:03:48,330 And a lot of it hinges on, you 108 00:03:48,330 --> 00:03:49,710 hear the word fundamentalist. 109 00:03:50,110 --> 00:03:51,110 Taking things literal. 110 00:03:51,230 --> 00:03:51,850 Have you ever heard that? 111 00:03:51,890 --> 00:03:53,170 Have you been called a fundamentalist? 112 00:03:54,030 --> 00:03:54,830 No, just me? 113 00:03:56,930 --> 00:04:00,030 Fundamentalist means you take, you're not bending on 114 00:04:00,030 --> 00:04:00,330 these things. 115 00:04:00,430 --> 00:04:01,750 You are a fundamentalist. 116 00:04:01,810 --> 00:04:02,990 You take the Bible literally. 117 00:04:03,130 --> 00:04:04,410 These are non-negotiables. 118 00:04:04,410 --> 00:04:09,330 And the fundamentalist, there's some books written, 1904, 119 00:04:09,450 --> 00:04:11,570 1905, I've talked about before, by R.A. 120 00:04:11,630 --> 00:04:11,970 Torrey. 121 00:04:12,450 --> 00:04:14,530 They had different theologians come in and talk 122 00:04:14,530 --> 00:04:16,269 about the fundamentals. 123 00:04:16,790 --> 00:04:18,050 Christ is the only way. 124 00:04:18,149 --> 00:04:18,790 The cross. 125 00:04:19,230 --> 00:04:20,170 The inerrancy of Scripture. 126 00:04:20,350 --> 00:04:21,190 The virgin birth. 127 00:04:21,330 --> 00:04:21,850 The resurrection. 128 00:04:22,170 --> 00:04:23,450 These things are not negotiable. 129 00:04:23,950 --> 00:04:26,170 You can't negotiate these things. 130 00:04:26,470 --> 00:04:28,630 So in that sense, we are fundamentalists. 131 00:04:28,910 --> 00:04:32,970 But we're not fundamentalists in blowing up abortion 132 00:04:32,970 --> 00:04:33,450 clinics. 133 00:04:33,450 --> 00:04:38,850 And picketing funerals of servicemen. 134 00:04:39,290 --> 00:04:41,150 Saying that they're going to go to hell 135 00:04:41,150 --> 00:04:42,210 because they were in the army. 136 00:04:42,910 --> 00:04:45,470 And we all get lumped into the fundamentalist 137 00:04:45,470 --> 00:04:45,730 camp. 138 00:04:45,790 --> 00:04:46,530 And I don't like that. 139 00:04:47,230 --> 00:04:49,230 But we do adhere to what the Bible 140 00:04:49,230 --> 00:04:51,390 clearly outlines as truth. 141 00:04:51,490 --> 00:04:52,730 And truth is literal. 142 00:04:53,550 --> 00:04:55,010 All of God's truth is literal. 143 00:04:55,130 --> 00:04:56,290 There's literal application. 144 00:04:56,570 --> 00:05:00,870 Everything that God says in his word is 145 00:05:00,870 --> 00:05:02,670 literal in regard to application. 146 00:05:03,270 --> 00:05:04,850 So you don't take the Bible literally. 147 00:05:05,030 --> 00:05:05,510 Yes, I do. 148 00:05:05,630 --> 00:05:06,090 Here's why. 149 00:05:06,650 --> 00:05:08,410 God uses metaphors often. 150 00:05:08,530 --> 00:05:09,430 John 10, 9. 151 00:05:09,810 --> 00:05:11,310 If you have your Bibles in the future, 152 00:05:11,350 --> 00:05:11,910 you can look at these. 153 00:05:12,010 --> 00:05:14,030 I believe that's where Jesus is referring to. 154 00:05:14,090 --> 00:05:15,470 I probably should have wrote down the exact 155 00:05:15,470 --> 00:05:16,550 passage here. 156 00:05:16,970 --> 00:05:19,490 But where he's referring to himself being the 157 00:05:19,490 --> 00:05:20,530 gate for the sheep. 158 00:05:20,650 --> 00:05:22,010 I am the gate for the sheep. 159 00:05:22,110 --> 00:05:23,210 Is Jesus really a gate? 160 00:05:24,210 --> 00:05:24,430 No. 161 00:05:24,590 --> 00:05:26,030 He's showing the entrance. 162 00:05:26,190 --> 00:05:28,250 I am the only way walking through the 163 00:05:28,250 --> 00:05:28,430 gate. 164 00:05:28,430 --> 00:05:31,090 Or a simile in Job 41, 24. 165 00:05:31,310 --> 00:05:33,070 Where he talks about, I believe it was 166 00:05:33,070 --> 00:05:35,170 one of the large creatures there having a 167 00:05:35,170 --> 00:05:36,750 heart like flint. 168 00:05:37,330 --> 00:05:38,450 Or heart like stone. 169 00:05:38,530 --> 00:05:40,370 Well, obviously his heart isn't stone. 170 00:05:40,950 --> 00:05:43,550 But it's showing, it's comparing to show the 171 00:05:43,550 --> 00:05:45,390 magnitude of what they're trying to express. 172 00:05:45,490 --> 00:05:46,390 Or allegories. 173 00:05:47,010 --> 00:05:49,010 Like in Isaiah 5, 1 where God was 174 00:05:49,010 --> 00:05:50,090 talking about his vineyard. 175 00:05:50,170 --> 00:05:51,390 He planted a vineyard. 176 00:05:51,710 --> 00:05:52,610 A beautiful vineyard. 177 00:05:53,090 --> 00:05:54,370 He tilled the soil. 178 00:05:54,510 --> 00:05:55,250 He watered it. 179 00:05:55,450 --> 00:05:56,530 This beautiful vineyard. 180 00:05:56,530 --> 00:06:00,950 But then it becomes a vineyard that is 181 00:06:00,950 --> 00:06:01,590 repulsive. 182 00:06:02,310 --> 00:06:03,830 That is just, weeds have grown up. 183 00:06:03,910 --> 00:06:05,950 And he shows how that is the nation 184 00:06:05,950 --> 00:06:06,470 of Israel. 185 00:06:06,890 --> 00:06:08,250 That God planted them. 186 00:06:08,430 --> 00:06:10,530 And the people destroyed that vineyard. 187 00:06:10,610 --> 00:06:13,130 So he'll use stories to convey truth. 188 00:06:13,250 --> 00:06:14,550 There's nothing wrong with that. 189 00:06:15,110 --> 00:06:17,390 So here's a good explanation of what we 190 00:06:17,390 --> 00:06:18,430 should take literal. 191 00:06:19,290 --> 00:06:20,790 Because you're probably wondering, well Shane, how do 192 00:06:20,790 --> 00:06:21,890 we know what's true and what's not? 193 00:06:22,310 --> 00:06:23,710 Well, a couple things. 194 00:06:23,710 --> 00:06:27,010 Let's read the words of Dr. David Cooper. 195 00:06:27,490 --> 00:06:29,870 He's the founder of the Bible Research Society. 196 00:06:30,490 --> 00:06:33,710 When the plain sense of scripture makes common 197 00:06:33,710 --> 00:06:35,950 sense, seek no other sense. 198 00:06:37,010 --> 00:06:41,270 Therefore take every word at its primary, ordinary, 199 00:06:41,650 --> 00:06:44,470 usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the 200 00:06:44,470 --> 00:06:48,670 immediate context studied in light of relative passages 201 00:06:48,670 --> 00:06:52,330 and fundamental truths indicate clearly otherwise. 202 00:06:53,410 --> 00:06:55,990 Some people have said, if the plain sense 203 00:06:55,990 --> 00:06:58,890 makes good sense, seek no other sense, lest 204 00:06:58,890 --> 00:07:00,890 it result in nonsense. 205 00:07:02,570 --> 00:07:03,830 And that's what you can do with the 206 00:07:03,830 --> 00:07:04,130 Bible. 207 00:07:04,510 --> 00:07:05,710 And a lot of the groups that knock 208 00:07:05,710 --> 00:07:10,170 on your door, take some of it and 209 00:07:10,170 --> 00:07:12,490 twist it around to fit their theology. 210 00:07:13,610 --> 00:07:15,970 That's why a couple things are important in 211 00:07:15,970 --> 00:07:17,350 this study on Matthew 24. 212 00:07:17,570 --> 00:07:20,990 The Old Testament is vital in understanding eschatology. 213 00:07:21,630 --> 00:07:23,530 Eschatology is the study of end times. 214 00:07:23,910 --> 00:07:26,690 The end is coming, Jesus is coming, judgment 215 00:07:26,690 --> 00:07:27,690 is coming, the end times. 216 00:07:28,050 --> 00:07:29,890 That whole study is called eschatology. 217 00:07:30,350 --> 00:07:32,370 And to properly understand it, you need to 218 00:07:32,370 --> 00:07:33,590 understand the Old Testament. 219 00:07:34,370 --> 00:07:38,670 The imagery, the moons darkening the sun, losing 220 00:07:38,670 --> 00:07:39,210 its light. 221 00:07:39,770 --> 00:07:42,770 There's Old Testament imagery that all the writers 222 00:07:42,770 --> 00:07:44,730 of the Bible would use throughout, and even 223 00:07:44,730 --> 00:07:45,730 into the New Testament. 224 00:07:46,470 --> 00:07:48,370 Also there's something called the Law of First 225 00:07:48,370 --> 00:07:48,730 Mention. 226 00:07:48,730 --> 00:07:51,470 So how something is used first in the 227 00:07:51,470 --> 00:07:54,710 Bible, you would use that application or that 228 00:07:54,710 --> 00:07:57,770 definition throughout the course of Scripture, unless the 229 00:07:57,770 --> 00:07:59,970 passage clearly indicates otherwise. 230 00:08:00,610 --> 00:08:04,290 So something is first mentioned, lampstands would be 231 00:08:04,290 --> 00:08:05,830 a good example in Exodus, and then we 232 00:08:05,830 --> 00:08:08,630 see lampstands again in Revelation, and what that 233 00:08:08,630 --> 00:08:09,790 lampstand means. 234 00:08:11,030 --> 00:08:12,730 So hopefully this will help. 235 00:08:13,110 --> 00:08:16,030 Take the Bible literal, just like what this 236 00:08:16,030 --> 00:08:17,250 gentleman said, but I'm going to break it 237 00:08:17,250 --> 00:08:17,850 down first. 238 00:08:17,850 --> 00:08:20,970 Take the Bible literal, take a passage literal, 239 00:08:22,510 --> 00:08:28,470 unless the literal interpretation contradicts self-evident and 240 00:08:28,470 --> 00:08:29,970 fundamental truths. 241 00:08:30,430 --> 00:08:34,690 He said axiomatic, but who knows what that 242 00:08:34,690 --> 00:08:35,530 means, so I had to look it up 243 00:08:35,530 --> 00:08:35,710 too. 244 00:08:36,390 --> 00:08:39,130 It means self-evident, self-evident. 245 00:08:39,470 --> 00:08:42,390 So you take the Bible literally, unless the 246 00:08:42,390 --> 00:08:47,830 literal interpretation contradicts self-evident and fundamental truths. 247 00:08:47,910 --> 00:08:48,830 You want an example of that? 248 00:08:48,890 --> 00:08:49,670 Here's a good example. 249 00:08:51,350 --> 00:08:53,930 The Bible often talks about the right hand 250 00:08:53,930 --> 00:08:54,450 of God. 251 00:08:55,710 --> 00:08:57,570 Are we going to take that literally? 252 00:08:57,690 --> 00:08:59,610 Does God have a right hand? 253 00:08:59,870 --> 00:09:03,250 No, because there are other truths that are 254 00:09:03,250 --> 00:09:03,910 self-evident. 255 00:09:04,090 --> 00:09:06,750 Jesus said God is not a person, He's 256 00:09:06,750 --> 00:09:08,910 a spirit, and those who worship Him must 257 00:09:08,910 --> 00:09:11,050 worship Him in spirit and truth. 258 00:09:11,150 --> 00:09:12,830 God doesn't have a right hand and a 259 00:09:12,830 --> 00:09:14,170 left eye and a foot. 260 00:09:15,590 --> 00:09:19,170 So you don't take that literal because that's 261 00:09:19,170 --> 00:09:20,230 why you need to know your Bible. 262 00:09:20,970 --> 00:09:22,450 Because some people say, oh yeah, God's right 263 00:09:22,450 --> 00:09:22,730 hand. 264 00:09:23,390 --> 00:09:25,730 Actually, I believe it's the Mormons who teach 265 00:09:25,730 --> 00:09:29,930 that God was once like us, and that 266 00:09:29,930 --> 00:09:31,450 we will be like God someday. 267 00:09:34,290 --> 00:09:37,750 I'm scared to say that, let alone teach 268 00:09:37,750 --> 00:09:38,010 it. 269 00:09:38,650 --> 00:09:39,870 God was once like me? 270 00:09:40,030 --> 00:09:40,970 Oh, help us. 271 00:09:41,130 --> 00:09:45,050 I mean, but He would have a physical 272 00:09:45,050 --> 00:09:45,570 body. 273 00:09:46,850 --> 00:09:49,070 So the theology can get twisted, but we 274 00:09:49,070 --> 00:09:51,350 learn throughout, especially in the Old Testament, God's 275 00:09:51,350 --> 00:09:54,350 spirit, you'll see Him manifest Himself through Jesus 276 00:09:54,350 --> 00:09:57,510 Christ or different things, but God doesn't have 277 00:09:57,510 --> 00:09:58,310 a right hand. 278 00:09:58,950 --> 00:10:00,750 So you wouldn't take that literally. 279 00:10:02,350 --> 00:10:05,890 Take the Bible literally unless the context shows 280 00:10:05,890 --> 00:10:08,590 that it cannot be taken literally. 281 00:10:09,290 --> 00:10:10,310 Here's a good example. 282 00:10:10,430 --> 00:10:12,650 If anyone hears my voice, Jesus says, and 283 00:10:12,650 --> 00:10:15,270 opens the door, I will come into him 284 00:10:15,270 --> 00:10:16,150 and dine with him. 285 00:10:17,010 --> 00:10:19,290 Well, is He talking about me opening a 286 00:10:19,290 --> 00:10:20,750 door and Jesus is going to come into 287 00:10:20,750 --> 00:10:21,410 me and have dinner? 288 00:10:21,750 --> 00:10:24,090 Somehow He's in my heart eating, who's going 289 00:10:24,090 --> 00:10:26,490 to pass the bread? 290 00:10:27,570 --> 00:10:29,450 No, you don't take that literal. 291 00:10:29,450 --> 00:10:29,990 Why? 292 00:10:30,310 --> 00:10:33,410 Because the context shows it can't be taken 293 00:10:33,410 --> 00:10:34,070 literally. 294 00:10:34,710 --> 00:10:36,750 Jesus is talking to a church, by the 295 00:10:36,750 --> 00:10:41,450 way, rebuking the church, and saying, open the 296 00:10:41,450 --> 00:10:42,350 door. 297 00:10:42,410 --> 00:10:45,870 If anybody knocks, if anybody opens that door 298 00:10:45,870 --> 00:10:47,830 as I'm knocking, I'm knocking on your door, 299 00:10:47,970 --> 00:10:48,730 open your heart. 300 00:10:48,770 --> 00:10:51,030 Many times I've heard Greg Laurie, Billy Graham, 301 00:10:51,110 --> 00:10:51,890 other people use it. 302 00:10:51,890 --> 00:10:53,290 I used to use it many times too. 303 00:10:53,290 --> 00:10:56,290 But really, that's not a call to the 304 00:10:56,290 --> 00:10:59,290 sinner in the context of that verse. 305 00:10:59,610 --> 00:11:01,730 The context of that verse is calling the 306 00:11:01,730 --> 00:11:04,350 church who is backslidden to come back. 307 00:11:04,450 --> 00:11:05,870 Jesus is saying, I'm knocking at your door. 308 00:11:06,290 --> 00:11:08,490 I'm knocking, I'm wanting you to return to 309 00:11:08,490 --> 00:11:09,090 your first love. 310 00:11:09,230 --> 00:11:09,790 Open the door. 311 00:11:10,450 --> 00:11:12,850 Now if somebody uses that as an overreaching 312 00:11:12,850 --> 00:11:15,710 application to reach somebody who's lost, that truth 313 00:11:15,710 --> 00:11:17,110 can still be validated. 314 00:11:17,250 --> 00:11:17,410 Why? 315 00:11:17,510 --> 00:11:20,170 Because God is convicting, God is drawing. 316 00:11:20,510 --> 00:11:23,250 Theoretically there's a knocking, there's a convicting, and 317 00:11:23,250 --> 00:11:25,530 the person needs to open their heart to 318 00:11:25,530 --> 00:11:25,950 receive. 319 00:11:27,090 --> 00:11:32,090 So take the Bible literally also, unless the 320 00:11:32,090 --> 00:11:35,270 literal sense does not make sense in light 321 00:11:35,270 --> 00:11:37,510 of relative passages. 322 00:11:38,550 --> 00:11:41,650 So you take the Bible literal unless it 323 00:11:41,650 --> 00:11:43,670 doesn't make sense when you combine it with 324 00:11:43,670 --> 00:11:44,630 all the other passages. 325 00:11:44,830 --> 00:11:46,490 Here's another, here's a good example. 326 00:11:47,550 --> 00:11:50,090 Jesus said, remember therefore from where you have 327 00:11:50,090 --> 00:11:50,550 fallen. 328 00:11:50,550 --> 00:11:51,830 Did they fall? 329 00:11:52,850 --> 00:11:53,290 No. 330 00:11:53,990 --> 00:11:55,070 Did their heart fall? 331 00:11:55,370 --> 00:11:55,710 Yes. 332 00:11:56,930 --> 00:11:58,770 Repent and do the first works or else 333 00:11:58,770 --> 00:12:00,450 I will come to you quickly and I 334 00:12:00,450 --> 00:12:03,770 will remove your lampstand from its place unless 335 00:12:03,770 --> 00:12:04,330 you repent. 336 00:12:04,710 --> 00:12:06,630 So is there a big lampstand about seven 337 00:12:06,630 --> 00:12:08,310 foot tall and Jesus is going to come 338 00:12:08,310 --> 00:12:10,910 and grab that lampstand and take it away 339 00:12:10,910 --> 00:12:12,310 and now we're going to cry because he 340 00:12:12,310 --> 00:12:13,170 took our lampstand. 341 00:12:14,390 --> 00:12:16,690 No, so you don't take that literally in 342 00:12:16,690 --> 00:12:17,550 light of the passage. 343 00:12:17,550 --> 00:12:19,730 The passage is he's warning churches. 344 00:12:20,310 --> 00:12:22,530 He says that the churches are the lampstand 345 00:12:22,530 --> 00:12:24,650 and if you don't return to your first 346 00:12:24,650 --> 00:12:26,410 works, if you don't return to your first 347 00:12:26,410 --> 00:12:30,170 love, if you don't rebuke that prophetess among 348 00:12:30,170 --> 00:12:32,350 you that's leading the people astray, if you 349 00:12:32,350 --> 00:12:35,070 don't, lukewarm church, if you don't return to 350 00:12:35,070 --> 00:12:37,830 me, I'm going to remove that lampstand. 351 00:12:37,930 --> 00:12:39,490 You look at Exodus to see when it 352 00:12:39,490 --> 00:12:41,050 was first used, in Exodus 20 I believe 353 00:12:41,050 --> 00:12:42,930 it was, talking about the tabernacle. 354 00:12:43,090 --> 00:12:44,890 It was right before the Holy of Holies, 355 00:12:44,890 --> 00:12:47,310 the lampstand was in the holy place. 356 00:12:47,630 --> 00:12:49,070 It was made of pure gold and it 357 00:12:49,070 --> 00:12:51,170 was a reflection, it was actually a foreshadowing 358 00:12:51,170 --> 00:12:53,150 of Christ if we had time. 359 00:12:53,810 --> 00:12:56,230 So removing that lampstand, what is the church's 360 00:12:56,230 --> 00:12:56,590 purpose? 361 00:12:57,230 --> 00:12:59,510 Not to sit here, to be the light 362 00:12:59,510 --> 00:13:01,450 up on a hill, to shine that we 363 00:13:01,450 --> 00:13:03,030 come in here, we get energized, we get 364 00:13:03,030 --> 00:13:05,670 charged up and we go out, we're filled 365 00:13:05,670 --> 00:13:06,410 with the spirit of God. 366 00:13:06,550 --> 00:13:09,730 When Jesus removes influence from a church it 367 00:13:09,730 --> 00:13:13,230 will die or it will turn into a 368 00:13:13,230 --> 00:13:14,930 social gathering and look just like the world. 369 00:13:16,050 --> 00:13:18,570 The music looks like the world. 370 00:13:18,690 --> 00:13:20,730 I can preach a very good worldly message. 371 00:13:22,790 --> 00:13:23,990 God wants to bless you. 372 00:13:25,450 --> 00:13:27,610 As you're leaving, if you drop $100 in 373 00:13:27,610 --> 00:13:31,850 that box, no, no, this is serious stuff. 374 00:13:33,270 --> 00:13:35,010 God's going to bless you a hundredfold. 375 00:13:35,910 --> 00:13:37,790 God just wants you to be wealthy and 376 00:13:37,790 --> 00:13:40,490 if you're not, we could just really, when 377 00:13:40,490 --> 00:13:44,110 God's influence leaves, the church will either die 378 00:13:44,110 --> 00:13:45,790 or resemble the world. 379 00:13:45,910 --> 00:13:47,910 There's no more holiness, there's no more conviction. 380 00:13:48,410 --> 00:13:49,850 You can go out and do good things, 381 00:13:49,970 --> 00:13:51,410 we can feed the homeless, we can paint 382 00:13:51,410 --> 00:13:54,030 the neighborhoods, we can do good things, but 383 00:13:54,030 --> 00:13:55,890 the conviction is gone. 384 00:13:56,590 --> 00:13:58,170 I like what A.W. Tozer said, if 385 00:13:58,170 --> 00:14:03,950 the Holy Spirit was removed in the early 386 00:14:03,950 --> 00:14:07,150 church, 90% of the work would have 387 00:14:07,150 --> 00:14:07,470 ceased. 388 00:14:08,490 --> 00:14:11,350 If the Holy Spirit was removed from our 389 00:14:11,350 --> 00:14:13,310 church today, 90% of the work would 390 00:14:13,310 --> 00:14:13,890 continue. 391 00:14:16,100 --> 00:14:17,820 It shows that a lot of the church 392 00:14:17,820 --> 00:14:18,700 is driven. 393 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:20,500 That's why we don't want to start a 394 00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:21,880 ministry just to start a ministry. 395 00:14:22,580 --> 00:14:23,880 There's not a week that goes by, somebody 396 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:25,000 says, you should start this. 397 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:26,240 And I say, you want to? 398 00:14:27,060 --> 00:14:28,720 No, no, no, the church should do it. 399 00:14:28,780 --> 00:14:30,600 No, no, no, you should do it if 400 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,560 God's truly called you to do that. 401 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,720 Because when God starts a ministry, yeah, there'll 402 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:36,940 be challenging, it will flourish, there will be 403 00:14:36,940 --> 00:14:37,500 fruit. 404 00:14:38,380 --> 00:14:40,040 So we want investing into the kids or 405 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,140 investing into the children's ministry or this other 406 00:14:42,140 --> 00:14:44,080 campus we prayed about for seven months. 407 00:14:44,460 --> 00:14:45,460 Lord, are you in it? 408 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:46,220 Are you in it? 409 00:14:46,220 --> 00:14:46,940 That's a big question. 410 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:47,400 Are you in it? 411 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:48,480 Oh, Shane, it's going to be difficult. 412 00:14:48,740 --> 00:14:49,960 We never saw you in Leona Valley. 413 00:14:50,220 --> 00:14:51,020 It's going to be challenging. 414 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:53,240 A lot of people from the country up 415 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:54,640 there, it's not going to work. 416 00:14:54,820 --> 00:14:55,680 God, are you in it? 417 00:14:55,860 --> 00:14:56,660 God, are you in it? 418 00:14:57,920 --> 00:14:58,860 I laugh every time. 419 00:14:58,940 --> 00:14:59,960 Shane, that's country folk. 420 00:15:00,260 --> 00:15:04,100 I love Hank Williams, Jr. Country boy can't 421 00:15:04,100 --> 00:15:04,400 survive. 422 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:05,800 I can sing you all those lines. 423 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:06,880 I can run a trout line. 424 00:15:06,980 --> 00:15:07,760 I can skin a buck. 425 00:15:07,820 --> 00:15:08,720 I've got a 12-gauge. 426 00:15:10,060 --> 00:15:10,460 Okay. 427 00:15:12,220 --> 00:15:13,760 I was born that way, too. 428 00:15:14,220 --> 00:15:15,980 I used to dove hunt in Rancho Vista 429 00:15:15,980 --> 00:15:18,880 before there was Rancho Vista Boulevard. 430 00:15:19,940 --> 00:15:22,600 But people, if God's in it, you just 431 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:23,700 hold on for the ride. 432 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,300 So back to this literal sense. 433 00:15:29,580 --> 00:15:30,540 A good reminder. 434 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:31,360 You know what? 435 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,200 While I'm talking about this removing your lampstand, 436 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:34,560 this is a good reminder. 437 00:15:35,940 --> 00:15:39,020 Jesus spoke to seven churches in Revelation 2, 438 00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:40,080 Revelation 3. 439 00:15:40,460 --> 00:15:42,260 These are actually not churches in Jerusalem. 440 00:15:42,540 --> 00:15:44,660 They're up higher in Asia Minor. 441 00:15:45,180 --> 00:15:49,980 Churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, 442 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:51,540 Laodicea. 443 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:55,260 And Jesus, see these were literal churches, but 444 00:15:55,260 --> 00:15:57,520 they had spiritual significance when he was talking 445 00:15:57,520 --> 00:15:59,080 about the lampstand and different things. 446 00:15:59,080 --> 00:15:59,700 Ephesus. 447 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,340 Jesus said, you have forsaken your first love, 448 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,380 and you need to return. 449 00:16:07,580 --> 00:16:09,980 And I felt strongly about bringing these seven 450 00:16:09,980 --> 00:16:12,360 points up because it hits every one of 451 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:13,120 us in this room. 452 00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:15,620 These seven churches are what we deal with 453 00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:16,020 often. 454 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:18,180 Leaving our first love. 455 00:16:18,340 --> 00:16:19,560 Forsaking our first love. 456 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:22,620 A good example to ask is, is the 457 00:16:22,620 --> 00:16:24,600 Word of God in your belly like a 458 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:25,500 fire anymore? 459 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:27,940 Is your prayer time, is your devotional, are 460 00:16:27,940 --> 00:16:29,420 you in love with the Lord? 461 00:16:30,420 --> 00:16:31,680 That sounds weird to say. 462 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:32,400 No, it doesn't. 463 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:34,440 We're in love with everything else. 464 00:16:34,900 --> 00:16:36,240 Everything else we're in love with. 465 00:16:36,580 --> 00:16:38,580 But are we truly in love with the 466 00:16:38,580 --> 00:16:38,760 Lord? 467 00:16:38,820 --> 00:16:40,800 Is there a passionate relationship or have we 468 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:41,320 drifted? 469 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,380 So Jesus says, always says, come back before 470 00:16:44,380 --> 00:16:45,460 I remove your lampstand. 471 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,280 Come back before I remove your influence. 472 00:16:47,620 --> 00:16:48,440 Come back to me. 473 00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:49,940 You've lost your first love. 474 00:16:50,220 --> 00:16:51,040 That was Ephesus. 475 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:53,920 And then Smyrna was suffering persecution. 476 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:55,740 And Jesus encouraged them. 477 00:16:56,980 --> 00:16:59,460 Pergamum has been infected by the world. 478 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:01,500 It happened in, look at this. 479 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:03,040 This happened 2,000 years ago. 480 00:17:03,099 --> 00:17:04,040 It's still happening today. 481 00:17:05,380 --> 00:17:07,800 So once the world infects us and we 482 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,420 have no call to holiness, no call to 483 00:17:10,420 --> 00:17:12,140 purity, we look just like the world. 484 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:13,920 That's why I often say, look at your 485 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:14,700 Facebook posts. 486 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:17,260 Does it resemble the world or the Word 487 00:17:17,260 --> 00:17:17,680 of God? 488 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:20,920 Well, Shane, I'm not sure. 489 00:17:21,020 --> 00:17:23,060 Well, sipping a margarita on the beaches of 490 00:17:23,060 --> 00:17:25,560 Cancun with a 12-pack of Corona next 491 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,300 to you and having a selfie is not, 492 00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:28,900 that's what I'm talking about. 493 00:17:29,260 --> 00:17:30,940 I can get real on application here. 494 00:17:32,180 --> 00:17:33,640 So we know when we're affected by the 495 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:35,680 world, do our lusts and our passions line 496 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:36,940 up with the world or the Word of 497 00:17:36,940 --> 00:17:37,240 God? 498 00:17:38,460 --> 00:17:39,880 Everybody's going, oh, that sounds good. 499 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:40,440 Oh, see? 500 00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:45,940 The flesh is dominating many times. 501 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:47,120 Thyatira. 502 00:17:48,180 --> 00:17:50,300 It's a church where they let a false 503 00:17:50,300 --> 00:17:54,060 prophetess into the church and they deceived the 504 00:17:54,060 --> 00:17:54,400 people. 505 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:57,620 It reminds me today of those who just 506 00:17:57,620 --> 00:18:00,460 dreams and visions and what the prophets say 507 00:18:00,460 --> 00:18:01,900 and they're getting it all worked up in 508 00:18:01,900 --> 00:18:02,320 these things. 509 00:18:02,460 --> 00:18:03,720 Now, do I believe that God is the 510 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:05,200 same yesterday, today, forevermore? 511 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,000 I've seen him warn people in dreams. 512 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:09,120 I've seen him confirm things in dreams. 513 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,260 I've seen people speak boldly into the lives 514 00:18:12,260 --> 00:18:14,260 of people through prophetic type or words of 515 00:18:14,260 --> 00:18:14,460 wisdom. 516 00:18:14,540 --> 00:18:15,640 I have nothing against that. 517 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:17,320 But we've got to be careful because that 518 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,600 should not be the full focus of the 519 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:20,940 church. 520 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:22,960 Hearing about dreams and visions every week. 521 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,100 I had a dream and this and a 522 00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:24,980 dream and this and a dream. 523 00:18:25,380 --> 00:18:30,520 Well, be careful because Abraham went 10 years 524 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:31,160 on one dream. 525 00:18:32,180 --> 00:18:33,880 We don't need to go every week and 526 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:34,240 get this. 527 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,400 I had a dream of this and a 528 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:36,800 dream of that. 529 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,340 And sometimes he might do that. 530 00:18:38,380 --> 00:18:40,560 But I'm saying be careful because I've noticed. 531 00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:41,880 Please don't get offended. 532 00:18:42,060 --> 00:18:43,140 I don't know of anybody in this room. 533 00:18:43,460 --> 00:18:45,400 But I've noticed that those who get into 534 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,080 that hyper-spirituality with tons of dreams, tons 535 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,580 of visions, tons of this, get off into 536 00:18:50,580 --> 00:18:51,360 never-never land. 537 00:18:52,540 --> 00:18:53,260 Come back. 538 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:54,400 Come back. 539 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:56,900 Let's see what God told me. 540 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:57,900 No, let's get into the Word. 541 00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:58,660 What does that say? 542 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:00,620 God will confirm it through His Word. 543 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:02,080 And the reason I promote that a lot 544 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:03,600 is because that's the foundation. 545 00:19:03,740 --> 00:19:04,540 That's for grounding. 546 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:07,060 I mean, I remember a guy, I've said 547 00:19:07,060 --> 00:19:07,600 this before. 548 00:19:07,820 --> 00:19:09,760 It was a pastor locally. 549 00:19:09,860 --> 00:19:11,220 I went to hear the speaker on an 550 00:19:11,220 --> 00:19:11,700 invitation. 551 00:19:12,420 --> 00:19:13,620 And it was before we went to war 552 00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:14,320 with Iraq. 553 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:16,080 And he said, if we go to war 554 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:17,580 with Iraq, God has showed me in a 555 00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:19,760 vision that America will not have enough body 556 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:20,100 bags. 557 00:19:21,620 --> 00:19:23,440 So about a year later, or six months 558 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:24,380 later, I asked that pastor. 559 00:19:24,500 --> 00:19:29,500 I said, well, I hate to burst your 560 00:19:29,500 --> 00:19:31,640 bubble, but I don't know what the casualty 561 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:31,740 was. 562 00:19:31,860 --> 00:19:33,200 Even one death is sad. 563 00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:35,040 But it was, I don't remember. 564 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:36,740 Some of you might tell me after the 565 00:19:36,740 --> 00:19:38,040 service, 2,000 or something. 566 00:19:38,260 --> 00:19:40,380 And you compare it to 40 million in 567 00:19:40,380 --> 00:19:41,060 World War I. 568 00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:43,400 And I told the pastor, and he goes, 569 00:19:43,460 --> 00:19:45,000 well, not all prophecy is accurate. 570 00:19:45,260 --> 00:19:47,760 It's just, he's like, well, we can't have 571 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:48,420 it both ways. 572 00:19:48,420 --> 00:19:50,780 You can't say the Lord told me this, 573 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:52,400 and this is what's going to happen, and 574 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:52,900 that doesn't happen. 575 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:53,740 Well, I missed that one. 576 00:19:54,060 --> 00:19:55,100 Well, you missed the other one. 577 00:19:55,140 --> 00:19:55,760 You missed this one. 578 00:19:55,980 --> 00:19:58,300 But then they live in that culture of 579 00:19:58,300 --> 00:19:59,140 what are the prophets saying? 580 00:19:59,200 --> 00:19:59,980 What are the dreams saying? 581 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:00,360 What are this? 582 00:20:00,460 --> 00:20:02,220 And they go off of those things, and 583 00:20:02,220 --> 00:20:03,740 there's not enough grounding. 584 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:05,440 There's not enough foundation there. 585 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,900 So he's warning the church, don't be seduced 586 00:20:08,900 --> 00:20:10,920 away from the word of God. 587 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,480 And I've seen people in God's word praying 588 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,160 and fasting that God will give them a 589 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:15,940 dream of something. 590 00:20:16,020 --> 00:20:17,140 He'll put a dream in their heart. 591 00:20:17,140 --> 00:20:19,020 And they'll say, that's what he's calling me 592 00:20:19,020 --> 00:20:19,920 to the ministry for. 593 00:20:20,140 --> 00:20:21,260 That's what he wants me to do. 594 00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:23,020 It confirms what's already going on in their 595 00:20:23,020 --> 00:20:23,220 heart. 596 00:20:23,420 --> 00:20:24,740 But they don't live off that dream. 597 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,020 And then they have another dream of cockroaches 598 00:20:27,020 --> 00:20:29,020 in their basement, and then they think, oh, 599 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:30,820 God's trying to clean my soul out of 600 00:20:30,820 --> 00:20:31,000 this. 601 00:20:31,180 --> 00:20:32,840 And then they see a vision of this 602 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,120 and an airplane crashing, and, oh, God, somebody's 603 00:20:35,120 --> 00:20:36,140 about ready to wreck their life. 604 00:20:36,180 --> 00:20:37,840 And then they just walk around each week 605 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,280 on these visions and dreams, and that's not 606 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:40,720 healthy. 607 00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:43,040 That's not healthy. 608 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:48,080 It's called hyper-Pentecostalism, hyper-charismaticism. 609 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:50,220 And I'm not making fun because if you 610 00:20:50,220 --> 00:20:53,260 look at the word charismatic, bestowing spiritual gifts, 611 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:54,720 I would fall in that camp. 612 00:20:55,260 --> 00:20:57,380 You're either charismatic and thinking that the spiritual 613 00:20:57,380 --> 00:20:58,940 gifts are for today, or you're not. 614 00:20:59,700 --> 00:21:01,080 And I want to embrace all that God 615 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:02,300 has, but it's grounded. 616 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,060 It has to be grounded in his word. 617 00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:10,280 And sometimes those who are the most chasing 618 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,520 after, you could call them fake signs or 619 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,400 wonders or fake, they're all into all this 620 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,820 stuff, are not grounded in the word at 621 00:21:16,820 --> 00:21:17,100 all. 622 00:21:17,820 --> 00:21:19,100 So we have to be careful in that 623 00:21:19,100 --> 00:21:19,740 area as well. 624 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:22,940 Sardis had fallen asleep, if you can believe 625 00:21:22,940 --> 00:21:23,160 it. 626 00:21:23,580 --> 00:21:25,220 Jesus says, I see your good works. 627 00:21:25,580 --> 00:21:27,180 I see you're doing this and this and 628 00:21:27,180 --> 00:21:27,800 this and this. 629 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:28,560 But guess what? 630 00:21:28,660 --> 00:21:29,400 You're asleep. 631 00:21:29,740 --> 00:21:30,540 You're dead. 632 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:35,580 Stop all this working, working, working, and return 633 00:21:35,580 --> 00:21:37,240 to your first love. 634 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,160 And this is, as we get older, I'm 635 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:41,780 seeing this in my own life, but especially 636 00:21:41,780 --> 00:21:42,960 those who are even older. 637 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,160 The older we get, the easier we can 638 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:46,240 fall into this camp. 639 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:48,080 Because we have theology. 640 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:49,420 We know what to do. 641 00:21:49,500 --> 00:21:50,880 We can point out the false teachers. 642 00:21:50,980 --> 00:21:51,480 We can do this. 643 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,320 But we lose that first love. 644 00:21:55,020 --> 00:21:56,740 And Jesus is telling us to return. 645 00:21:57,420 --> 00:22:00,120 Philadelphia, they had patient endurance. 646 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,060 And then Laodicea, many of you know Laodicea. 647 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,460 That's a famous church where Jesus said, Hey, 648 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,360 please be either cold or hot. 649 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,320 But you're lukewarm, and I'm going to vomit 650 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:12,340 you out of my mouth. 651 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:14,920 Take that literally. 652 00:22:15,220 --> 00:22:15,560 No. 653 00:22:16,340 --> 00:22:16,600 Right? 654 00:22:16,700 --> 00:22:20,500 What's the context showing that this lukewarm church 655 00:22:20,500 --> 00:22:22,160 is displeasing to God? 656 00:22:22,740 --> 00:22:24,500 And I often remind people, we think we 657 00:22:24,500 --> 00:22:26,500 can live lukewarm and still please God. 658 00:22:26,580 --> 00:22:27,240 We can't. 659 00:22:28,780 --> 00:22:32,120 We're either all into God's camp, or if 660 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:33,520 we're trying to hold a fence, we're in 661 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:34,120 this camp. 662 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,160 And, again, nobody can live perfectly, but we 663 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:40,560 can have a heart that says, Lord, I 664 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,180 don't want anything to do with lukewarm living. 665 00:22:42,300 --> 00:22:43,960 I don't want anything to do with the 666 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:44,680 worldly influence. 667 00:22:44,740 --> 00:22:45,940 There are so many areas I need your 668 00:22:45,940 --> 00:22:46,360 help in. 669 00:22:46,620 --> 00:22:47,580 God, remove these things. 670 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:49,600 And then we start to make lifestyle decisions 671 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,840 and changes to promote this lifestyle, this being 672 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,380 set apart for God. 673 00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:58,900 And that's what the whole lukewarm church is. 674 00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:05,180 A lukewarm church, basically, is there's just no 675 00:23:05,180 --> 00:23:08,300 power, no spiritual power, no conviction. 676 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:10,400 I remember I saw a YouTube posting of 677 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:11,020 one big church. 678 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:11,820 I don't even know where it's at. 679 00:23:12,180 --> 00:23:14,740 But, like, for worship, they did a Michael 680 00:23:14,740 --> 00:23:17,020 Jackson video thing, and the guys danced and 681 00:23:17,020 --> 00:23:18,140 did a Michael Jackson song. 682 00:23:18,820 --> 00:23:22,180 And I remember another guy, another big church, 683 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,660 on Easter, they had the worship team doing 684 00:23:24,660 --> 00:23:26,960 ACDC, I'm on the Highway to Hell. 685 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:30,260 You know that song? 686 00:23:31,260 --> 00:23:32,600 I'm on the Highway to Hell. 687 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:35,280 But his thing, well, I'm just showing the 688 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:37,100 people, you know, it's about Easter and what 689 00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:37,660 hell looks like. 690 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:38,780 Well, you don't have to do it that 691 00:23:38,780 --> 00:23:39,020 way. 692 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:40,540 I mean, come on. 693 00:23:41,140 --> 00:23:42,520 Who would even think of that? 694 00:23:43,180 --> 00:23:45,740 Hey, Brant, before you break out into Old 695 00:23:45,740 --> 00:23:48,300 Rugged Cross, I want to hear Ozzy Osbourne 696 00:23:48,300 --> 00:23:51,040 and just show that, you know, I mean, 697 00:23:51,380 --> 00:23:51,660 it just. 698 00:23:52,620 --> 00:23:53,920 But then there's also no conviction. 699 00:23:54,100 --> 00:23:55,320 The sermon's not convicting. 700 00:23:56,460 --> 00:23:57,260 It's popular. 701 00:23:58,620 --> 00:24:00,120 It's what everybody wants to hear. 702 00:24:00,300 --> 00:24:01,420 No, that just felt great. 703 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:03,380 And it's pleasing the masses in the church. 704 00:24:03,580 --> 00:24:06,220 There's no heartfelt ministry taking place. 705 00:24:06,460 --> 00:24:07,400 It's all superficial. 706 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,260 That's what the lukewarm church is. 707 00:24:12,210 --> 00:24:13,690 And it's so funny when I read this. 708 00:24:14,130 --> 00:24:16,330 We can all agree that Jesus loved us 709 00:24:16,330 --> 00:24:18,010 very much and loves us, doesn't he? 710 00:24:18,590 --> 00:24:20,110 So why does he rebuke us? 711 00:24:21,630 --> 00:24:22,870 Because he loves us. 712 00:24:23,630 --> 00:24:25,770 See, we should take rebuke sometimes from the 713 00:24:25,770 --> 00:24:27,250 Word of God as a loving father. 714 00:24:27,250 --> 00:24:32,350 A rebuke is never for our harm. 715 00:24:33,030 --> 00:24:34,670 It's always for our good. 716 00:24:35,630 --> 00:24:37,430 So when Jesus says, I love you and 717 00:24:37,430 --> 00:24:39,050 those I love, I rebuke and I chase 718 00:24:39,050 --> 00:24:39,850 and come back. 719 00:24:40,290 --> 00:24:41,090 Come back. 720 00:24:41,190 --> 00:24:43,350 So you'll see often from preaching, a preaching 721 00:24:43,350 --> 00:24:46,050 should help to draw the people back to 722 00:24:46,050 --> 00:24:47,730 God and convict them. 723 00:24:48,970 --> 00:24:50,610 So again, back to the literal sense. 724 00:24:50,810 --> 00:24:52,810 When the plain sense of Scripture makes common 725 00:24:52,810 --> 00:24:55,310 sense, seek no other sense. 726 00:24:56,070 --> 00:24:58,150 Therefore, we have to take every word as 727 00:24:58,150 --> 00:25:03,250 primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts 728 00:25:03,250 --> 00:25:04,730 indicate otherwise. 729 00:25:05,710 --> 00:25:08,210 So that's the foundation for Matthew 24. 730 00:25:09,330 --> 00:25:10,890 I'll read Matthew 24. 731 00:25:11,530 --> 00:25:15,530 This is one of the most, you know 732 00:25:15,530 --> 00:25:17,030 what, let me just read what D.A. 733 00:25:17,130 --> 00:25:17,910 Carson said. 734 00:25:19,270 --> 00:25:21,810 If you don't know D.A. Carson, he's 735 00:25:21,810 --> 00:25:23,210 a New Testament scholar. 736 00:25:24,010 --> 00:25:25,790 Very well versed in a lot of different 737 00:25:25,790 --> 00:25:26,250 areas. 738 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:31,160 He said about Matthew 24, what we're about 739 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:31,760 ready to read. 740 00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:34,780 Few chapters of the Bible have called forth 741 00:25:34,780 --> 00:25:40,540 more disagreement among interpreters than Matthew 24 and 742 00:25:40,540 --> 00:25:43,300 its parallels in Mark 13 and Luke 21 743 00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:46,560 than any other passage of the Bible. 744 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,780 The history of interpretation of this chapter is 745 00:25:49,780 --> 00:25:52,140 immensely complex. 746 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,940 And in a nutshell, here's why. 747 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,040 One group says a lot of what we're 748 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:00,180 about ready to read. 749 00:26:00,300 --> 00:26:02,280 One group says it already took place. 750 00:26:03,700 --> 00:26:06,440 The other group says it's coming. 751 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:08,760 It's coming. 752 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:09,560 Earthquakes. 753 00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:10,780 False signs. 754 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:11,800 Antichrist. 755 00:26:12,180 --> 00:26:14,560 The abomination of desolation standing where he ought 756 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:14,840 not. 757 00:26:14,940 --> 00:26:16,820 Read or beware, the Bible says. 758 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:17,800 The Antichrist. 759 00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:18,800 The Great Tribulation. 760 00:26:19,100 --> 00:26:19,860 It's all coming. 761 00:26:20,460 --> 00:26:25,060 A large segment of Christian people say it's 762 00:26:25,060 --> 00:26:25,880 already happened. 763 00:26:26,940 --> 00:26:28,240 So now you see the confusion. 764 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:30,540 And if you're not saying, I didn't know 765 00:26:30,540 --> 00:26:32,120 people believed that, well, I'll tell you why. 766 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,340 Because you probably either went to a vineyard, 767 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,120 a Calvary Chapel, or what they call dispensationalism, 768 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:41,680 where they believe in the rapture and different 769 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:43,560 things because you grew up in that. 770 00:26:44,940 --> 00:26:46,300 And I grew up in that. 771 00:26:46,460 --> 00:26:47,620 And that's what we grew up in. 772 00:26:47,620 --> 00:26:48,700 So when we hear this other stuff, like, 773 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:49,380 oh, they're heretical. 774 00:26:49,500 --> 00:26:50,320 No, they're not heretical. 775 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:54,400 They're actually closer to historical biblical Christianity in 776 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,260 regard to what the early church fathers believed. 777 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:58,640 But now we do have more information with 778 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:00,960 the nation of Israel becoming a nation in 779 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:02,040 the mid-1900s. 780 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:03,640 And we see all these things happening. 781 00:27:03,820 --> 00:27:07,520 So both sides have a good argument. 782 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:08,880 And I'm just going to tell you up 783 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:10,540 front, I don't take one side or the 784 00:27:10,540 --> 00:27:11,640 other dogmatically. 785 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:18,240 I see some tremendous confirmation on this side 786 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:19,640 that all these things are coming. 787 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:23,080 But this side has a lot of good 788 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:23,780 points as well. 789 00:27:24,540 --> 00:27:25,600 And this side would say we have to 790 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:29,140 take the Bible literally, not figuratively. 791 00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:30,540 And then this side would say the same 792 00:27:30,540 --> 00:27:32,220 thing, but then they take some things figuratively, 793 00:27:32,340 --> 00:27:34,080 which the other side takes literally. 794 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,180 So I'm going to try to hopefully unpack 795 00:27:36,180 --> 00:27:37,280 that in the weeks to come. 796 00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:38,820 But let's read Matthew 24. 797 00:27:38,820 --> 00:27:41,260 See if we can at least get through 798 00:27:41,260 --> 00:27:43,480 the first two verses and all be on 799 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:44,180 the same page. 800 00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:48,160 Then Jesus went out and departed from the 801 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:48,480 temple. 802 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:49,580 So he was in the temple. 803 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,560 He went out, and his disciples came up 804 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:54,800 to show him the buildings of the temple, 805 00:27:54,900 --> 00:27:56,960 this wondrous temple. 806 00:27:57,660 --> 00:27:59,540 And Jesus said to them, Do you not 807 00:27:59,540 --> 00:28:00,940 see all these things? 808 00:28:00,940 --> 00:28:02,100 So they're looking at the temple. 809 00:28:02,780 --> 00:28:05,480 Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone 810 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:08,220 shall be left here upon another that shall 811 00:28:08,220 --> 00:28:10,240 not be thrown down. 812 00:28:12,100 --> 00:28:14,720 So it's probably like I haven't been there 813 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:15,940 in 15 years, but if you go to 814 00:28:15,940 --> 00:28:18,800 Vegas and you see whatever the newest glamorous 815 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,140 hotel, and you're like, look at this. 816 00:28:20,380 --> 00:28:22,060 Oh, they're trying to show off Jesus. 817 00:28:22,260 --> 00:28:23,400 Jesus, look at this temple. 818 00:28:23,900 --> 00:28:24,380 Unbelievable. 819 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:26,580 And he says, I'm telling you the truth. 820 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,100 There's coming a time where not one stone 821 00:28:29,100 --> 00:28:30,300 will be left upon another. 822 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:35,760 So both groups agree that this happened in 823 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:37,160 A.D. 70. 824 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:39,980 A.D. 70. 825 00:28:40,140 --> 00:28:40,620 What happened? 826 00:28:41,100 --> 00:28:44,800 It was so traumatic that a lot of 827 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,120 people think that the book of Revelation, when 828 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:50,280 it talks about the judgments, actually happened in 829 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:51,000 A.D. 70. 830 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,980 This is when Jerusalem was sieged. 831 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,240 And actually it happened, I believe, five or 832 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:57,180 six years earlier. 833 00:28:57,420 --> 00:28:58,820 There was warfare going on. 834 00:28:58,820 --> 00:29:01,720 And finally the city of Jerusalem was taken. 835 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,040 The outer wall, the inner wall, the middle 836 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:05,920 wall was taken. 837 00:29:06,060 --> 00:29:08,400 They slaughtered the Jewish people all over. 838 00:29:08,660 --> 00:29:13,080 There's blood was rolling down the temple stairs. 839 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:14,280 And it was horrific. 840 00:29:14,580 --> 00:29:15,880 This is the time I told you about 841 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,560 that the mother cooked her own child and 842 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:19,400 ate that child. 843 00:29:19,540 --> 00:29:21,220 And Josephus writes about that. 844 00:29:21,380 --> 00:29:23,980 He said the whole city soon rang with 845 00:29:23,980 --> 00:29:24,780 this abomination. 846 00:29:24,780 --> 00:29:27,020 When people heard of it, they shuddered as 847 00:29:27,020 --> 00:29:28,380 though they had done it themselves. 848 00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:31,680 And you can read Josephus. 849 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,800 He was a historian at this time. 850 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:37,180 Let me read what he wrote. 851 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,660 No respect was paid even to the dying. 852 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,960 The anti-Roman zealots searched them in case 853 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:05,380 they were concealing food somewhere in their clothes 854 00:30:05,380 --> 00:30:07,720 or just pretending to be dead. 855 00:30:09,770 --> 00:30:12,550 Gapping, gaping with hunger like mad dogs. 856 00:30:12,670 --> 00:30:15,110 Lawless gangs went staggering and reeling throughout the 857 00:30:15,110 --> 00:30:17,970 streets, battering upon doors like drunkards so bewildered 858 00:30:17,970 --> 00:30:19,970 that they broke into the same house two 859 00:30:19,970 --> 00:30:21,130 or three times an hour. 860 00:30:21,690 --> 00:30:24,490 Need drove the starving and they'd chew to 861 00:30:24,490 --> 00:30:24,990 anything. 862 00:30:25,630 --> 00:30:28,850 Scraps, which even animals would reject, were collected 863 00:30:28,850 --> 00:30:29,930 and turned into food. 864 00:30:30,290 --> 00:30:31,950 In the end, they were eating belts and 865 00:30:31,950 --> 00:30:34,070 shoes and the leather strips off their own 866 00:30:34,070 --> 00:30:34,490 shields. 867 00:30:35,730 --> 00:30:36,070 Why? 868 00:30:36,210 --> 00:30:38,270 Because Rome had... 869 00:30:38,270 --> 00:30:40,010 When you siege a city, it's a lot 870 00:30:40,010 --> 00:30:40,570 different here. 871 00:30:40,930 --> 00:30:41,950 Well, you can actually do it here. 872 00:30:42,770 --> 00:30:44,590 Terrorists will probably eventually want to go after 873 00:30:44,590 --> 00:30:46,450 your water supply and over your grids. 874 00:30:46,490 --> 00:30:49,150 We've got three power grids, I think, mainly 875 00:30:49,150 --> 00:30:51,930 overseeing the power throughout the United States. 876 00:30:51,990 --> 00:30:53,050 Just three power grids. 877 00:30:53,050 --> 00:30:55,170 You see a nice little nuclear bomb right 878 00:30:55,170 --> 00:30:56,110 up one of those power grids? 879 00:30:56,190 --> 00:30:57,990 You just don't have electricity for many months. 880 00:30:59,770 --> 00:31:00,910 I mean, it's that... 881 00:31:00,910 --> 00:31:02,550 So they besieged the city. 882 00:31:02,650 --> 00:31:03,910 They surrounded the city. 883 00:31:04,310 --> 00:31:05,850 No food, no water. 884 00:31:05,910 --> 00:31:06,730 The people were dying. 885 00:31:07,070 --> 00:31:08,450 And then they took that city. 886 00:31:09,030 --> 00:31:13,410 And that's why Jesus wept 30 years, 40 887 00:31:13,410 --> 00:31:14,090 years earlier. 888 00:31:14,210 --> 00:31:16,270 He said, Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if you would 889 00:31:16,270 --> 00:31:18,670 just have known the time of your visitation, 890 00:31:19,810 --> 00:31:21,930 you would be spared this destruction. 891 00:31:23,050 --> 00:31:25,110 So that's what he's talking about here in 892 00:31:25,110 --> 00:31:25,970 Matthew 24. 893 00:31:26,970 --> 00:31:28,570 I don't know of anybody that disagrees with 894 00:31:28,570 --> 00:31:28,850 that. 895 00:31:30,050 --> 00:31:32,150 Not one stone shall be left here upon 896 00:31:32,150 --> 00:31:34,510 another that shall not be thrown down. 897 00:31:34,590 --> 00:31:36,730 And that happened in A.D. 70. 898 00:31:38,930 --> 00:31:41,150 So, then we skip to... 899 00:31:41,150 --> 00:31:42,550 Then we go to verse 3, right? 900 00:31:42,690 --> 00:31:43,390 Follows verse 2. 901 00:31:43,490 --> 00:31:44,930 Here's where the controversy starts. 902 00:31:45,870 --> 00:31:48,150 Your Bible might say above it the signs 903 00:31:48,150 --> 00:31:49,670 of the times and the end of the 904 00:31:49,670 --> 00:31:50,110 age. 905 00:31:51,430 --> 00:31:55,150 Others believe that this is, again, paralleling with 906 00:31:55,150 --> 00:31:58,750 what Jesus is talking about happening in A 907 00:31:58,750 --> 00:31:59,270 .D. 70. 908 00:31:59,710 --> 00:32:01,610 Verse 3, now as he sat on the 909 00:32:01,610 --> 00:32:03,270 Mount of Olives... 910 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:06,820 And now you can picture this scene. 911 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:07,780 There's not a lot of room. 912 00:32:07,860 --> 00:32:09,860 But now they're sitting up on the Mount. 913 00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:11,280 It's called the Olivet Discourse. 914 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,120 They're sitting up on the Mount of Olives. 915 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:15,960 And they're looking down and they're seeing the 916 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:16,960 temple below them. 917 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:18,400 They can see it. 918 00:32:19,420 --> 00:32:21,780 So, as he's sitting there, the disciples came 919 00:32:21,780 --> 00:32:24,600 to him privately saying, Tell us, when will 920 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,300 these things be? 921 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:28,420 Well, what will those things be? 922 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,260 Not one stone will be left upon another. 923 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:33,660 Tell us when those things will be. 924 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:35,800 Now, if they would just stop there, that 925 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:36,880 would end a lot of controversy. 926 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,100 But they kept on going. 927 00:32:39,860 --> 00:32:42,020 And, while you're at it, Jesus, what will 928 00:32:42,020 --> 00:32:43,240 be the sign of your coming? 929 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:46,660 Oh, there's another question. 930 00:32:46,860 --> 00:32:48,920 And, while you're at it, and what is 931 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:49,760 the end of the age? 932 00:32:50,940 --> 00:32:52,420 So, when will these things be? 933 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:57,120 Where the temple, where these stones will be 934 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:58,580 completely broken down. 935 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:00,860 And, what will be the sign of your 936 00:33:00,860 --> 00:33:01,160 coming? 937 00:33:01,380 --> 00:33:02,820 And, what will be the sign of the 938 00:33:02,820 --> 00:33:03,140 age? 939 00:33:04,780 --> 00:33:07,180 So, this group says it's all one question. 940 00:33:07,180 --> 00:33:09,480 They look at it as one event. 941 00:33:10,180 --> 00:33:11,200 When is this going to happen? 942 00:33:11,380 --> 00:33:12,600 When is this happening? 943 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:13,760 When is the sign of your coming and 944 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:14,360 the end of the age? 945 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:15,260 When is that happening? 946 00:33:15,340 --> 00:33:15,860 One event. 947 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:18,740 This group would say, no, there's different events. 948 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:20,720 The first event already occurred 80-70. 949 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:27,100 But now, we're still waiting for the sign 950 00:33:27,100 --> 00:33:29,080 of your coming and the end of the 951 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:29,320 age. 952 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,040 Basically, the end of the world, when everything 953 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:31,820 comes to an end. 954 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,500 Those questions have not been answered yet. 955 00:33:34,500 --> 00:33:38,240 And, the reason some of this is so 956 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,480 difficult, I think, when it comes to prophecy 957 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:41,000 is this. 958 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:42,480 I like what David Gusick said. 959 00:33:43,060 --> 00:33:45,820 One reason why prophecy may seem vague or 960 00:33:45,820 --> 00:33:49,660 imprecise is because God wants every age to 961 00:33:49,660 --> 00:33:52,740 have reason to be ready for Jesus' return. 962 00:33:53,780 --> 00:33:56,340 We should not think of Jesus' return as 963 00:33:56,340 --> 00:33:58,720 an event far off on a timetable, but 964 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,940 something that has been running parallel since the 965 00:34:01,940 --> 00:34:02,920 beginning of the church. 966 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,660 And, that's the interesting thing with prophecy. 967 00:34:06,020 --> 00:34:11,540 Think about when Isaiah prophesied that somebody would 968 00:34:11,540 --> 00:34:14,239 come out among them from their people, a 969 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,679 Messiah, and the Spirit of God would be 970 00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:18,540 upon them. 971 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:20,940 And, it actually happened. 972 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:23,260 And, then there's other prophecies where it happened, 973 00:34:23,340 --> 00:34:24,340 and it's going to happen again. 974 00:34:24,739 --> 00:34:28,280 And, it's God's prophetic word guiding people throughout 975 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:29,100 history. 976 00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:31,440 But, that's why He wants the church throughout 977 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,139 the whole last 2,000 years to always 978 00:34:34,139 --> 00:34:35,600 be ready for His return. 979 00:34:36,500 --> 00:34:41,820 It's called the immediate return of Christ. 980 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,320 We live knowing that He could come at 981 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:45,020 any time. 982 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:50,159 Number two, others suggest that God's intention was 983 00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:52,900 to keep the future somewhat vague and clouded 984 00:34:52,900 --> 00:34:54,000 to confound the devil. 985 00:34:54,580 --> 00:34:57,200 Even as the resurrection of the Messiah was 986 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:58,720 vague in the Old Testament. 987 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,260 So, if it's not real clear, I guess 988 00:35:02,260 --> 00:35:04,100 that confounds the devil, is one of the 989 00:35:04,100 --> 00:35:04,860 thoughts there. 990 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,500 My view on that, maybe. 991 00:35:09,380 --> 00:35:11,520 I mean, Paul talks about, had they known, 992 00:35:12,260 --> 00:35:16,400 had hell known that it was destroying itself, 993 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,240 they would have never led Christ to the 994 00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:19,580 cross. 995 00:35:19,580 --> 00:35:21,140 So, in other words, I don't think the 996 00:35:21,140 --> 00:35:24,220 enemy saw, the enemy thought He was defeated. 997 00:35:25,220 --> 00:35:27,020 I mean, the enemy thought Jesus was defeated 998 00:35:27,020 --> 00:35:27,800 on the cross. 999 00:35:28,340 --> 00:35:33,280 And, hell was celebrating until hell, death, and 1000 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:34,100 the grave were conquered. 1001 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,720 So, they were laughing, they were enjoying that. 1002 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,680 And, Jesus, right before His crucifixion, said something 1003 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:42,340 interesting. 1004 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:45,320 I think the NIV translates it, and it 1005 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,960 says, that this is your hour when darkness 1006 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:48,640 reigns. 1007 00:35:49,940 --> 00:35:52,560 This is your hour, darkness, while you're reigning, 1008 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:53,080 while you're in control. 1009 00:35:53,500 --> 00:35:55,980 But, so had they known they were crucifying 1010 00:35:55,980 --> 00:35:59,760 the Messiah, the Savior, to do a part 1011 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:01,180 of God's plan, they might not have went 1012 00:36:01,180 --> 00:36:01,800 through with it. 1013 00:36:02,340 --> 00:36:04,100 So, that's what he's thinking here. 1014 00:36:06,590 --> 00:36:09,110 And then, number three, though some prophetic interpretations 1015 00:36:09,110 --> 00:36:12,390 are different, we are sure of this, He 1016 00:36:12,390 --> 00:36:15,650 is coming again and we must be ready. 1017 00:36:17,370 --> 00:36:19,110 So, here's the key question we're going to 1018 00:36:19,110 --> 00:36:20,250 talk about in the weeks to come. 1019 00:36:21,610 --> 00:36:22,470 You like cliffhangers? 1020 00:36:24,210 --> 00:36:28,130 Are the abomination that causes desolation, which is 1021 00:36:28,130 --> 00:36:31,450 the Antichrist, the great tribulation, the coming of 1022 00:36:31,450 --> 00:36:34,490 the Son of Man, are those all past 1023 00:36:34,490 --> 00:36:37,930 events, or are they future events? 1024 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:41,720 And, it really changes everything. 1025 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:44,320 If it's one event, if Jesus was answering 1026 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:49,400 one question, talking about AD 70, as one 1027 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,200 event, that will change how you view a 1028 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:51,880 lot of things. 1029 00:36:54,460 --> 00:36:56,280 Because, this side would not believe in an 1030 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,380 Antichrist, or a one world government, all these 1031 00:36:59,380 --> 00:36:59,560 things. 1032 00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:03,320 And, that's when you go, well, things are 1033 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:04,200 sure looking that way. 1034 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:06,540 You might want to rethink your position. 1035 00:37:06,660 --> 00:37:07,540 I mean, I asked a guy a couple 1036 00:37:07,540 --> 00:37:08,540 of weeks ago, I think it was. 1037 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:10,740 Now, if you see a one world government, 1038 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:17,720 an Antichrist, armies surrounding Jerusalem, would you change 1039 00:37:17,720 --> 00:37:18,220 your position? 1040 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:20,180 Well, no, not yet. 1041 00:37:20,300 --> 00:37:23,200 Because, there's always been a one world governing. 1042 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,360 Well, what about if you saw the tribulation 1043 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:29,540 aspect, and you saw more of that happening? 1044 00:37:31,220 --> 00:37:35,720 And, so they're really caught on this side 1045 00:37:35,720 --> 00:37:38,940 of all this already happened in AD 70. 1046 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:42,040 And, I'm going to explain that in a 1047 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:42,420 little bit. 1048 00:37:42,720 --> 00:37:44,520 Not tonight, because there wouldn't be enough time. 1049 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,880 But, here's why I do agree with some 1050 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:49,680 of what they believe. 1051 00:37:50,140 --> 00:37:52,980 Because, the disciples believe that the time of 1052 00:37:52,980 --> 00:37:54,280 the end was near. 1053 00:37:54,720 --> 00:37:57,540 That the Messiah would be announced soon. 1054 00:37:57,620 --> 00:37:59,900 They probably viewed this as one event. 1055 00:38:00,340 --> 00:38:02,420 That the end of Jerusalem would usher in 1056 00:38:02,420 --> 00:38:03,260 the time of the end. 1057 00:38:03,540 --> 00:38:04,140 So, I agree. 1058 00:38:04,220 --> 00:38:06,500 I don't think, personally, that the disciples are 1059 00:38:06,500 --> 00:38:08,400 going, When's this going to happen to Jerusalem? 1060 00:38:08,900 --> 00:38:10,460 And, thousands of years from now, when is 1061 00:38:10,460 --> 00:38:10,740 the age? 1062 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:12,540 I think they're saying, When are all these 1063 00:38:12,540 --> 00:38:13,860 stones going to fall upon each other? 1064 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:15,160 When is the end coming? 1065 00:38:15,380 --> 00:38:16,380 And, when are you coming back? 1066 00:38:16,420 --> 00:38:18,480 They saw this as all one event. 1067 00:38:18,580 --> 00:38:18,740 Why? 1068 00:38:18,900 --> 00:38:21,760 Look at throughout the chapter preceding Matthew. 1069 00:38:22,220 --> 00:38:25,260 He's preparing the disciples for his departure. 1070 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,700 So, they're expecting for all this to happen 1071 00:38:29,700 --> 00:38:30,340 soon. 1072 00:38:30,980 --> 00:38:33,360 They live thinking it was happening pretty soon. 1073 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:37,000 So, I don't think they're asking, That's going 1074 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,900 to be thousands of years from now. 1075 00:38:39,980 --> 00:38:41,000 They want to know, When is all this 1076 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:41,520 going to happen? 1077 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:43,860 And, another interesting thing. 1078 00:38:43,940 --> 00:38:44,820 I don't know if you've ever thought about 1079 00:38:44,820 --> 00:38:45,160 this. 1080 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,660 But, when Jesus said, many verses later, we'll 1081 00:38:48,660 --> 00:38:49,280 get into it. 1082 00:38:49,540 --> 00:38:50,920 That, I tell you the truth. 1083 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:52,500 Don't be deceived. 1084 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:53,120 Earthquakes. 1085 00:38:53,180 --> 00:38:53,760 All these things. 1086 00:38:54,260 --> 00:38:57,060 This generation will not pass away until they 1087 00:38:57,060 --> 00:38:57,800 see these things. 1088 00:39:00,980 --> 00:39:04,020 Now, D.A. Carson rightly notes, That this 1089 00:39:04,020 --> 00:39:06,420 then would be the only time in all 1090 00:39:06,420 --> 00:39:09,020 of the Gospels, That this is an audience 1091 00:39:09,020 --> 00:39:10,920 shift now to 2,000 years. 1092 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:14,960 See, anytime Jesus said, this generation, this, you 1093 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:15,340 will see. 1094 00:39:15,420 --> 00:39:15,720 You will see. 1095 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:16,680 It always meant right then. 1096 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,140 But, now in Matthew 24, when he says, 1097 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:22,300 This generation shall not pass away until you 1098 00:39:22,300 --> 00:39:23,440 see all these things. 1099 00:39:23,820 --> 00:39:26,580 Now, he's shifting his audience focus, not from 1100 00:39:26,580 --> 00:39:28,440 the disciples, But, to us 2,000 years 1101 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:28,780 ago. 1102 00:39:29,700 --> 00:39:30,780 And, he makes a good point. 1103 00:39:30,780 --> 00:39:32,860 It's the only time that there's an audience 1104 00:39:32,860 --> 00:39:33,400 shift. 1105 00:39:33,700 --> 00:39:36,340 If you believe that this now pertains to 1106 00:39:36,340 --> 00:39:37,540 us, and not back then. 1107 00:39:38,300 --> 00:39:39,780 Now, if you look up the word generation, 1108 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:41,620 Of course, it can mean a group of 1109 00:39:41,620 --> 00:39:42,000 people. 1110 00:39:42,300 --> 00:39:44,880 And, I've heard, you know, people say, Well, 1111 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:47,480 that could mean the generation, you know, not 1112 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:49,880 living, But, that generation of people, meaning the 1113 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:50,640 Jewish race. 1114 00:39:50,820 --> 00:39:52,860 And, okay. 1115 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:54,820 But, again, you have to look throughout the 1116 00:39:54,820 --> 00:39:55,360 whole Gospel. 1117 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:56,420 So, I hope that makes sense. 1118 00:39:56,540 --> 00:39:57,840 Jesus, at the end of all this, is 1119 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:00,260 going to say, That this generation will not 1120 00:40:00,260 --> 00:40:02,380 pass away until you see the abomination. 1121 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:03,480 Until you see the earthquakes. 1122 00:40:03,700 --> 00:40:04,620 Until you see these signs. 1123 00:40:05,260 --> 00:40:06,700 Talking to his people. 1124 00:40:07,240 --> 00:40:09,020 So, if he's not talking to those people, 1125 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:13,560 Then, he's shifting to a future audience. 1126 00:40:13,720 --> 00:40:14,880 And, that's not clear. 1127 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,220 It's not like Jesus saying, Hey, guys. 1128 00:40:17,300 --> 00:40:18,980 Here's what's going to happen in about 40 1129 00:40:18,980 --> 00:40:19,320 years. 1130 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:19,940 Jerusalem. 1131 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:23,360 Now, many, many generations from now. 1132 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:25,960 We're talking 2,000 years from now. 1133 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,840 Here's what's going to start to happen 2 1134 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:30,240 ,000 years from now. 1135 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:31,580 He didn't say that. 1136 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:33,420 It was just, here's what's going to happen. 1137 00:40:33,500 --> 00:40:33,900 Boom, boom, boom. 1138 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:35,020 Here's the signs to look for. 1139 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:37,580 But, you can also look at the parallels. 1140 00:40:38,260 --> 00:40:39,560 Earthquakes in various places. 1141 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:43,860 Well, Anybody know what just happened? 1142 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:44,560 Was it Ecuador? 1143 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:47,120 No, Japan. 1144 00:40:47,340 --> 00:40:47,940 But, was it Ecuador? 1145 00:40:49,460 --> 00:40:50,340 Ecuador today. 1146 00:40:51,180 --> 00:40:51,980 A seven something. 1147 00:40:51,980 --> 00:40:55,120 And, I tell this campus, Oh, yeah. 1148 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:55,900 There's always been earthquakes. 1149 00:40:56,020 --> 00:40:56,800 Yeah, not that many. 1150 00:40:57,440 --> 00:40:59,060 Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, 1151 00:40:59,060 --> 00:40:59,220 boom. 1152 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:00,880 I mean, you set up the one world 1153 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:01,140 government. 1154 00:41:01,220 --> 00:41:05,520 You see, Personally, I see that there's a 1155 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:06,760 set up for a one world government. 1156 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:07,820 We're close to that. 1157 00:41:08,180 --> 00:41:08,860 The number of the beast. 1158 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:10,940 666 will be something on a hand, on 1159 00:41:10,940 --> 00:41:11,380 a forehead. 1160 00:41:11,720 --> 00:41:12,680 Will be a thought. 1161 00:41:14,020 --> 00:41:15,360 There's a lot of different views. 1162 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:17,760 But, you can see how everything's lining up. 1163 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:22,480 To where earthquakes, wars, famine, all these things, 1164 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:24,500 they're lining up as well. 1165 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:26,360 That's why it's difficult. 1166 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:28,600 That's why I don't jump on this side 1167 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:30,280 and say, All these other people are wrong. 1168 00:41:30,380 --> 00:41:30,960 They're heretics. 1169 00:41:31,460 --> 00:41:32,460 You're just stupid. 1170 00:41:35,350 --> 00:41:36,890 Because, they've got some good points. 1171 00:41:37,410 --> 00:41:38,510 And, that's why I'm not on this side 1172 00:41:38,510 --> 00:41:39,930 going, Oh, all this, you know. 1173 00:41:41,190 --> 00:41:41,910 You're dispensational. 1174 00:41:42,090 --> 00:41:42,550 You're rapture. 1175 00:41:42,610 --> 00:41:43,810 You listen to Chuck Smith too much. 1176 00:41:44,550 --> 00:41:45,430 Or, Jack Hayford. 1177 00:41:46,030 --> 00:41:46,990 Or, John MacArthur. 1178 00:41:47,090 --> 00:41:47,850 All those good teachers. 1179 00:41:47,950 --> 00:41:48,770 Man, there's good teachers. 1180 00:41:48,770 --> 00:41:49,830 So, I'm right here. 1181 00:41:50,490 --> 00:41:51,550 Like, that's some good points. 1182 00:41:51,870 --> 00:41:52,850 But, that's some good points. 1183 00:41:53,290 --> 00:41:54,930 You know, the tribulation already passed. 1184 00:41:54,990 --> 00:41:56,170 I like that side. 1185 00:41:57,930 --> 00:41:58,850 The rapture's coming. 1186 00:41:58,950 --> 00:41:59,550 We'll be out of here. 1187 00:41:59,670 --> 00:42:00,710 I like this side. 1188 00:42:01,190 --> 00:42:02,030 Let's get out of here. 1189 00:42:02,570 --> 00:42:03,750 But, see, I have a concern too. 1190 00:42:03,850 --> 00:42:04,910 I don't want to tell my kids, Hey, 1191 00:42:04,950 --> 00:42:06,730 don't worry about any of this ISIS stuff. 1192 00:42:06,790 --> 00:42:07,170 Don't worry. 1193 00:42:07,490 --> 00:42:08,550 You're going to be out of here pretty 1194 00:42:08,550 --> 00:42:08,970 soon. 1195 00:42:09,150 --> 00:42:09,970 Just get back. 1196 00:42:10,090 --> 00:42:12,810 You have to prepare your kids for death. 1197 00:42:14,350 --> 00:42:15,270 It's a hard statement. 1198 00:42:15,350 --> 00:42:16,710 But, you have to prepare your kids for 1199 00:42:16,710 --> 00:42:17,130 martyrdom. 1200 00:42:19,060 --> 00:42:21,440 This isn't the popular service tonight. 1201 00:42:22,220 --> 00:42:23,020 But, it's the truth. 1202 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:24,260 I'm shooting you straight. 1203 00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:25,660 I want to prepare my kids. 1204 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:27,880 Say, Hey, here's what could happen. 1205 00:42:27,940 --> 00:42:28,360 He could be here. 1206 00:42:28,500 --> 00:42:29,840 But, here's what might happen. 1207 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:32,080 And, you prepare them. 1208 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,560 That's one bad thing about the raptures. 1209 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:39,040 Persecution to them is not getting a parking 1210 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:39,380 spot. 1211 00:42:42,070 --> 00:42:42,930 We're going to be lifted out. 1212 00:42:43,210 --> 00:42:44,890 Can I take you to China for a 1213 00:42:44,890 --> 00:42:45,070 while? 1214 00:42:45,130 --> 00:42:45,810 Or, North Korea? 1215 00:42:45,990 --> 00:42:46,650 Or, Pakistan? 1216 00:42:47,170 --> 00:42:48,610 Or, God forbid, Iran? 1217 00:42:50,030 --> 00:42:52,510 I mean, they're living in literal hell. 1218 00:42:53,330 --> 00:42:54,410 Scared of their lives. 1219 00:42:55,090 --> 00:42:57,770 ISIS coming in and threatening and beheading and 1220 00:42:57,770 --> 00:42:59,630 watching their own kids murdered before their eyes. 1221 00:42:59,770 --> 00:43:01,130 It doesn't get worse than that. 1222 00:43:01,350 --> 00:43:02,570 So, they're living in hell. 1223 00:43:02,670 --> 00:43:03,990 They're living in that tribulation. 1224 00:43:04,630 --> 00:43:06,610 But, we're here saying, Oh, the God's going 1225 00:43:06,610 --> 00:43:07,890 to take us out here before it gets 1226 00:43:07,890 --> 00:43:08,670 really bad. 1227 00:43:09,070 --> 00:43:10,670 Well, you should just thank God that it's 1228 00:43:10,670 --> 00:43:11,490 not really bad. 1229 00:43:12,850 --> 00:43:14,550 Is there any difference in the Christian here 1230 00:43:14,550 --> 00:43:15,370 and the Christian there? 1231 00:43:16,430 --> 00:43:17,850 Does God love them less? 1232 00:43:18,870 --> 00:43:19,990 So, that's why you have to be careful. 1233 00:43:20,110 --> 00:43:23,210 That's one thing I did not like about 1234 00:43:23,210 --> 00:43:24,710 constantly preaching the raptures. 1235 00:43:24,750 --> 00:43:25,690 We're going to be out of here as 1236 00:43:25,690 --> 00:43:26,630 soon as it gets a little tough. 1237 00:43:27,050 --> 00:43:27,850 You just kick back. 1238 00:43:27,970 --> 00:43:30,050 And then, you prepare some wimpy Christians. 1239 00:43:32,650 --> 00:43:33,910 They're like, we're supposed to be out of 1240 00:43:33,910 --> 00:43:34,070 here. 1241 00:43:38,070 --> 00:43:40,090 The ACLU and all these groups come to 1242 00:43:40,090 --> 00:43:41,650 take Christ out of Christmas. 1243 00:43:42,090 --> 00:43:43,810 You've got to take Christians out of school. 1244 00:43:43,910 --> 00:43:44,490 And, they're so wimpy. 1245 00:43:44,630 --> 00:43:45,730 We should be able to hold the line 1246 00:43:45,730 --> 00:43:47,030 and say, Nope, not on our watch. 1247 00:43:47,250 --> 00:43:49,650 My Lord and Savior said do business until 1248 00:43:49,650 --> 00:43:50,290 he returns. 1249 00:43:50,550 --> 00:43:51,510 Until he returns. 1250 00:43:51,650 --> 00:43:53,690 I'm going to say grown men should not 1251 00:43:53,690 --> 00:43:55,390 share bathrooms with girls. 1252 00:43:55,530 --> 00:43:56,930 I don't care if you're North Carolina or 1253 00:43:56,930 --> 00:43:58,150 South Carolina or Alaska. 1254 00:43:58,590 --> 00:43:59,670 That's wrong. 1255 00:43:59,770 --> 00:44:01,130 So, the church should be that voice of 1256 00:44:01,130 --> 00:44:01,390 reasoning. 1257 00:44:01,730 --> 00:44:04,470 We need to stop murdering millions of babies. 1258 00:44:04,790 --> 00:44:07,890 We need to stop ordaining gay clergy. 1259 00:44:08,210 --> 00:44:09,410 This is wrong. 1260 00:44:09,810 --> 00:44:10,890 Stand up church. 1261 00:44:11,210 --> 00:44:12,130 Stand up. 1262 00:44:12,990 --> 00:44:16,750 But, we've come back in that wimpy mindset. 1263 00:44:17,010 --> 00:44:17,810 The rapture's coming. 1264 00:44:17,910 --> 00:44:18,410 God's coming. 1265 00:44:18,510 --> 00:44:21,550 Just sit back and drink Kool-Aid. 1266 00:44:23,130 --> 00:44:24,550 I don't want to fight these battles. 1267 00:44:24,630 --> 00:44:26,210 Well, you better fight them because they're coming. 1268 00:44:27,330 --> 00:44:28,170 How do you fight them? 1269 00:44:28,190 --> 00:44:28,770 By prayer. 1270 00:44:28,930 --> 00:44:30,390 If I could get this whole church to 1271 00:44:30,390 --> 00:44:35,540 go on a 30-day fast, how about 1272 00:44:35,540 --> 00:44:36,700 a five-day fast? 1273 00:44:37,300 --> 00:44:38,360 And, I'll make it easy. 1274 00:44:38,460 --> 00:44:39,060 Just juice. 1275 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:40,300 No, that's real hard. 1276 00:44:40,380 --> 00:44:41,600 Well, you're getting nutrients. 1277 00:44:42,360 --> 00:44:43,620 I know some people can't. 1278 00:44:43,620 --> 00:44:45,600 But, see, that's where the weapons of our 1279 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:46,740 warfare are not carnal. 1280 00:44:47,940 --> 00:44:49,480 I'm not going to stand in Washington, D 1281 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:51,140 .C. with John 3.16 and probably make 1282 00:44:51,140 --> 00:44:52,740 as big a difference as I am on 1283 00:44:52,740 --> 00:44:56,000 my knees fasting, reading John 3.16 and 1284 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:57,400 asking God to intervene. 1285 00:44:57,480 --> 00:44:58,540 God's got to intervene, folks. 1286 00:44:58,620 --> 00:44:59,500 This is not good. 1287 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:01,180 This is not a good direction. 1288 00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:05,580 When Bruce Springsteen and these other guys have 1289 00:45:05,580 --> 00:45:07,700 the audacity to say, well, I'm not going 1290 00:45:07,700 --> 00:45:10,640 to North Carolina because they're not pushing, they're 1291 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:11,940 protecting children. 1292 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:17,820 Let's pass all kinds of, men can go 1293 00:45:17,820 --> 00:45:18,820 over where they want, women can go over 1294 00:45:18,820 --> 00:45:19,160 where they want. 1295 00:45:19,220 --> 00:45:20,180 That's perversion. 1296 00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:21,440 There's a word for that. 1297 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:22,320 It's called pervert. 1298 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:24,440 That's what it is. 1299 00:45:24,540 --> 00:45:25,360 You're perverting. 1300 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:27,920 Perverting is you take something that's straight and 1301 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:29,560 the truth and you realign it. 1302 00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:32,520 You pervert the natural course that God. 1303 00:45:32,620 --> 00:45:33,700 That's perversion. 1304 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:36,080 It's not discrimination. 1305 00:45:39,100 --> 00:45:39,900 It's perversion. 1306 00:45:40,140 --> 00:45:41,520 And the church needs to stand up. 1307 00:45:41,620 --> 00:45:43,480 The church needs to be a voice, a 1308 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:45,460 beacon of light pointing people back to the 1309 00:45:45,460 --> 00:45:45,620 truth. 1310 00:45:45,620 --> 00:45:47,840 If I could get more pulpits saying the 1311 00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:51,560 same thing, you might upset some senators and 1312 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:52,640 say, you know, we better listen to the 1313 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:52,900 church. 1314 00:45:53,060 --> 00:45:54,120 They're right about this. 1315 00:45:55,020 --> 00:45:56,500 No, just be quiet. 1316 00:45:56,620 --> 00:45:57,880 Separation of church and state. 1317 00:45:58,280 --> 00:45:58,680 Be quiet. 1318 00:45:58,740 --> 00:45:59,840 Church shouldn't say anything. 1319 00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:01,760 No, just be quiet. 1320 00:46:03,480 --> 00:46:04,560 Go back to sleep. 1321 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:10,280 Remember, that's the big thing right now, separation 1322 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:11,140 of church and state. 1323 00:46:13,390 --> 00:46:15,010 And you saw God's Not Dead Part II. 1324 00:46:15,110 --> 00:46:16,010 They were right on the money. 1325 00:46:16,570 --> 00:46:17,890 It's not in the Constitution. 1326 00:46:17,890 --> 00:46:21,190 Thomas Jefferson was writing a private letter to 1327 00:46:21,190 --> 00:46:24,050 the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut. 1328 00:46:24,730 --> 00:46:26,430 And he said, don't worry, Baptist. 1329 00:46:27,410 --> 00:46:29,170 There's not going to be just a Baptist 1330 00:46:29,170 --> 00:46:29,870 denomination. 1331 00:46:30,350 --> 00:46:32,670 There will be a wall of separation between 1332 00:46:32,670 --> 00:46:33,930 the church and the state. 1333 00:46:34,050 --> 00:46:36,730 So there won't just be one denomination ruling 1334 00:46:36,730 --> 00:46:37,330 and reigning. 1335 00:46:37,570 --> 00:46:39,630 They wanted worship everywhere. 1336 00:46:40,710 --> 00:46:43,610 So they take that little thing, and then 1337 00:46:43,610 --> 00:46:45,350 of course Congress shall make no law respecting 1338 00:46:45,350 --> 00:46:47,870 the establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free 1339 00:46:47,870 --> 00:46:49,190 exercise thereof. 1340 00:46:49,270 --> 00:46:52,110 The exercise clause, the establishment clause, all these 1341 00:46:52,110 --> 00:46:53,470 things, it's garbage. 1342 00:46:54,090 --> 00:46:55,390 It's a smoke screen. 1343 00:46:56,410 --> 00:46:58,570 All those things were written so that the 1344 00:46:58,570 --> 00:47:00,570 government would not get involved. 1345 00:47:01,450 --> 00:47:02,410 Not get involved. 1346 00:47:02,530 --> 00:47:04,470 They would stay out of it and let 1347 00:47:04,470 --> 00:47:06,870 the church be the conscience of the nation. 1348 00:47:07,330 --> 00:47:10,150 They shall make no law respecting the establishment 1349 00:47:10,150 --> 00:47:14,090 of religion nor the free exercise thereof. 1350 00:47:14,190 --> 00:47:14,970 What are they doing? 1351 00:47:14,970 --> 00:47:17,970 They are preventing the free exercise thereof. 1352 00:47:18,210 --> 00:47:20,590 So the very thing that was designed to 1353 00:47:20,590 --> 00:47:22,410 protect the church is now destroying her. 1354 00:47:23,470 --> 00:47:24,110 Why? 1355 00:47:24,410 --> 00:47:27,430 Because the pulpit is silent. 1356 00:47:29,490 --> 00:47:30,070 That's why. 1357 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:42,020 I don't know. 1358 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,900 That's just enough to... 1359 00:47:44,900 --> 00:47:46,880 We need to be praying and fasting more 1360 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:47,760 and worshiping. 1361 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:49,580 Those are serious issues. 1362 00:47:49,900 --> 00:47:54,500 By the sheer grace of God, a nuclear 1363 00:47:54,500 --> 00:47:56,780 bomb has not been detonated in L.A. 1364 00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:57,760 or New York. 1365 00:47:58,920 --> 00:47:59,940 But it's sheer grace. 1366 00:48:08,590 --> 00:48:10,170 Verse 4, Jesus answered and said to them, 1367 00:48:10,310 --> 00:48:12,370 Take heed that no one deceives you. 1368 00:48:13,270 --> 00:48:14,510 No one deceives you. 1369 00:48:14,550 --> 00:48:15,950 How does a person deceive you? 1370 00:48:20,790 --> 00:48:21,850 You get away from this. 1371 00:48:22,470 --> 00:48:23,930 If you know this, you will not be 1372 00:48:23,930 --> 00:48:24,310 deceived. 1373 00:48:24,410 --> 00:48:25,110 Let me add to this. 1374 00:48:25,190 --> 00:48:28,370 If you obey this, you will not be 1375 00:48:28,370 --> 00:48:28,810 deceived. 1376 00:48:29,670 --> 00:48:31,150 You want to talk about irony. 1377 00:48:31,970 --> 00:48:34,670 Remember the young mom I've been talking about 1378 00:48:34,670 --> 00:48:37,050 for the past six years who left her 1379 00:48:37,050 --> 00:48:40,550 husband and two small kids and says, I 1380 00:48:40,550 --> 00:48:44,690 know what the Bible says, but God just 1381 00:48:44,690 --> 00:48:45,730 wants me to be happy. 1382 00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:50,240 Well, guess who we got an email from 1383 00:48:50,240 --> 00:48:50,980 two days ago. 1384 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:55,980 Now is life's falling apart if I would 1385 00:48:55,980 --> 00:48:59,560 have just obeyed God's law, if I would 1386 00:48:59,560 --> 00:49:01,100 have just stayed in that shelter, if I 1387 00:49:01,100 --> 00:49:03,160 would have just stayed in those boundaries, if 1388 00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:04,500 I would have just obeyed it, I would 1389 00:49:04,500 --> 00:49:05,780 not be living in this misery. 1390 00:49:06,180 --> 00:49:06,980 That's deception. 1391 00:49:06,980 --> 00:49:08,000 Why was she deceived? 1392 00:49:08,100 --> 00:49:09,160 Because she got away. 1393 00:49:09,500 --> 00:49:11,440 For any time you get away from this, 1394 00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:12,780 you live in deception. 1395 00:49:13,740 --> 00:49:15,740 So Jesus says, do not be deceived. 1396 00:49:15,900 --> 00:49:17,080 Don't let anybody deceive you. 1397 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:19,100 For many will come in my name and 1398 00:49:19,100 --> 00:49:20,200 saying, I am the Christ. 1399 00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:21,600 These people crack me up. 1400 00:49:21,640 --> 00:49:23,420 You can Google people who think they're the 1401 00:49:23,420 --> 00:49:25,660 Christ and they've got followers. 1402 00:49:26,660 --> 00:49:27,900 He wears white. 1403 00:49:27,980 --> 00:49:28,880 I think he lives in Florida. 1404 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:30,220 He's got all these followers. 1405 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:35,500 I'm like, when Jesus comes, you're not going 1406 00:49:35,500 --> 00:49:37,080 to be able to conduct business as usual. 1407 00:49:37,180 --> 00:49:38,320 Life is over. 1408 00:49:38,580 --> 00:49:39,600 The master is here. 1409 00:49:39,700 --> 00:49:40,920 The Lord ruling and reigning. 1410 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:43,040 Every knee will bow and every tongue confess. 1411 00:49:43,380 --> 00:49:45,140 Don't go running here and running there. 1412 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:48,140 When he comes, it's like lightning coming across 1413 00:49:48,140 --> 00:49:48,540 the sky. 1414 00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:49,880 It's crystal clear. 1415 00:49:50,620 --> 00:49:56,040 But people are deceived because they're not into 1416 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:56,620 the word of God. 1417 00:49:56,900 --> 00:49:58,860 They're just gullible. 1418 00:49:59,620 --> 00:50:01,180 For many will come in my name saying, 1419 00:50:01,340 --> 00:50:03,840 I am the Christ and will deceive many. 1420 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:05,840 How are these people usually deceiving them? 1421 00:50:09,610 --> 00:50:11,890 This guy is living in a nice mansion 1422 00:50:11,890 --> 00:50:16,410 in Florida and that's what their gain is. 1423 00:50:17,190 --> 00:50:18,570 Listen, if anybody has to say, I'll do 1424 00:50:18,570 --> 00:50:20,490 ministry, but I charge a certain fee. 1425 00:50:20,550 --> 00:50:21,070 Be careful. 1426 00:50:23,240 --> 00:50:24,940 I'll cast out your demon for $1,000. 1427 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:27,240 What? 1428 00:50:30,420 --> 00:50:33,040 Or I'll, come follow me. 1429 00:50:33,140 --> 00:50:34,820 It costs about $10,000 a month. 1430 00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:38,700 And you pray on those things because that's 1431 00:50:38,700 --> 00:50:39,420 why people deceive. 1432 00:50:39,420 --> 00:50:40,820 There's always an ulterior motive. 1433 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,120 Nobody deceives without an ulterior motive. 1434 00:50:44,240 --> 00:50:46,660 That's why you can look at the Christian 1435 00:50:46,660 --> 00:50:49,000 faith and say, that's pure, that's noble, that's 1436 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,020 right, because the deception is nothing. 1437 00:50:51,180 --> 00:50:52,260 It's come to know Christ. 1438 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:53,040 What's in it for you, Shane? 1439 00:50:53,120 --> 00:50:54,040 Not a thing. 1440 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:56,380 But you'd have eternal life. 1441 00:50:56,460 --> 00:50:57,360 You'd have a relationship with God. 1442 00:50:57,360 --> 00:50:58,360 You don't get anything from this? 1443 00:50:58,520 --> 00:50:58,780 No. 1444 00:50:58,900 --> 00:50:59,540 I don't care. 1445 00:51:00,460 --> 00:51:02,080 I mean, I do care, but there's not 1446 00:51:02,080 --> 00:51:03,660 an ulterior motive. 1447 00:51:04,980 --> 00:51:09,810 Even those people knocking at your door, do 1448 00:51:09,810 --> 00:51:11,470 you know they're asked by others, how many 1449 00:51:11,470 --> 00:51:12,990 people did you convert this week? 1450 00:51:14,990 --> 00:51:15,710 There's stats. 1451 00:51:17,010 --> 00:51:18,370 Mormon, Jehovah Witness, because some of you are 1452 00:51:18,370 --> 00:51:18,830 like, what? 1453 00:51:19,210 --> 00:51:20,970 They have to report back to their bishops. 1454 00:51:21,170 --> 00:51:22,290 How many did you talk to? 1455 00:51:22,330 --> 00:51:23,230 How many did you convert? 1456 00:51:23,290 --> 00:51:24,030 How many said the prayer? 1457 00:51:24,410 --> 00:51:26,390 There's even denominations, and I would encourage them 1458 00:51:26,390 --> 00:51:27,650 to get away from that, where they send 1459 00:51:27,650 --> 00:51:28,790 in their tallies each month. 1460 00:51:29,050 --> 00:51:29,910 How many conversions? 1461 00:51:30,090 --> 00:51:30,890 How many baptisms? 1462 00:51:31,130 --> 00:51:33,430 Because what happens is, that doesn't look too 1463 00:51:33,430 --> 00:51:33,630 good. 1464 00:51:33,690 --> 00:51:35,890 Let's say we had 20. 1465 00:51:37,110 --> 00:51:38,130 We baptized five. 1466 00:51:38,130 --> 00:51:39,010 We don't want to say zero. 1467 00:51:39,250 --> 00:51:43,600 I mean, so you're altering numbers, and that's 1468 00:51:43,600 --> 00:51:45,300 what would happen. 1469 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:49,940 These false Christs would deceive people, because of 1470 00:51:49,940 --> 00:51:52,660 ulterior motives, and you can just gauge somebody, 1471 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:54,980 gauge something by their motives. 1472 00:51:55,060 --> 00:51:55,800 What are their motives? 1473 00:51:57,460 --> 00:51:59,540 And you will hear of wars, and rumors 1474 00:51:59,540 --> 00:52:00,260 of wars. 1475 00:52:00,700 --> 00:52:03,320 See that you are not troubled, for all 1476 00:52:03,320 --> 00:52:05,340 these things must come to pass, but the 1477 00:52:05,340 --> 00:52:07,400 end is not yet. 1478 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:09,940 I think that's a good note for us 1479 00:52:09,940 --> 00:52:10,280 as well. 1480 00:52:11,100 --> 00:52:13,300 You're going to hear of wars, and rumors 1481 00:52:13,300 --> 00:52:13,840 of wars. 1482 00:52:14,220 --> 00:52:17,380 Think about how much they heard about it. 1483 00:52:17,480 --> 00:52:19,160 You would hear somebody come running in, I 1484 00:52:19,160 --> 00:52:21,580 just came back from Damascus, and it's an 1485 00:52:21,580 --> 00:52:23,420 uproar, and people get worried. 1486 00:52:24,340 --> 00:52:27,320 They didn't have Fox News, CNN, Drudge Report, 1487 00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,860 Buffington Post, all these things inundating us all 1488 00:52:30,860 --> 00:52:31,180 the time. 1489 00:52:31,220 --> 00:52:32,120 That's why I talk about it. 1490 00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:33,820 You don't need to know what's going on 1491 00:52:33,820 --> 00:52:36,420 in 14 different areas, and 42 different wars, 1492 00:52:36,420 --> 00:52:38,000 and the sky is falling. 1493 00:52:39,320 --> 00:52:42,980 We weren't created to receive all that negative 1494 00:52:42,980 --> 00:52:45,780 energy, negative news, I'm talking like New Age 1495 00:52:45,780 --> 00:52:45,980 now. 1496 00:52:48,020 --> 00:52:50,520 You weren't created to have all that negative 1497 00:52:50,520 --> 00:52:53,540 news, because you don't even have a spirit 1498 00:52:53,540 --> 00:52:54,920 of fear, but we foster that. 1499 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:56,480 So Jesus said, when you hear of these 1500 00:52:56,480 --> 00:52:57,840 things, don't be troubled. 1501 00:52:59,620 --> 00:53:01,980 Don't be troubled, it will come to pass. 1502 00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:06,980 And it's a mindset, it's a war in 1503 00:53:06,980 --> 00:53:09,100 our mind, we have to think, because sometimes, 1504 00:53:09,600 --> 00:53:12,900 sometimes I feel like I could just, I 1505 00:53:12,900 --> 00:53:17,520 don't, ISIS, okay, what do I feel? 1506 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:19,020 I don't feel anything, I'm immediately with Jesus. 1507 00:53:19,140 --> 00:53:19,920 How's that a bad thing? 1508 00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:22,200 But there's other days where you're scared, you're 1509 00:53:22,200 --> 00:53:24,000 scared like, oh, for my family, and you 1510 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:25,720 live in this fear, and then you make 1511 00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:27,360 those thoughts captive, and you bring it back, 1512 00:53:27,400 --> 00:53:28,480 and there's this war going on. 1513 00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:31,100 Jesus says that don't be scared. 1514 00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:33,020 Don't be fearful of these things, it must 1515 00:53:33,020 --> 00:53:33,480 happen. 1516 00:53:34,140 --> 00:53:35,160 It must happen. 1517 00:53:40,990 --> 00:53:42,970 One example that I came across was a 1518 00:53:42,970 --> 00:53:47,670 prophetic expectation in 1846 with William Miller in 1519 00:53:47,670 --> 00:53:48,590 the United States. 1520 00:53:49,330 --> 00:53:52,090 Because of his calculations and publications, there were 1521 00:53:52,090 --> 00:53:54,450 hundreds of thousands in the United States who 1522 00:53:54,450 --> 00:53:57,930 were convinced that Jesus would return in 1846. 1523 00:53:58,610 --> 00:54:00,510 When he did not, there was a great 1524 00:54:00,510 --> 00:54:03,490 disappointment with some falling away and some cultic 1525 00:54:03,490 --> 00:54:05,330 groups that had spawned up from this prophetic 1526 00:54:07,490 --> 00:54:08,990 wrong outlook on life. 1527 00:54:09,550 --> 00:54:10,490 So we have to be careful. 1528 00:54:11,450 --> 00:54:14,210 The great deception, and let's end on that 1529 00:54:14,210 --> 00:54:15,330 point, the great deception. 1530 00:54:15,990 --> 00:54:17,850 There's two points just this week to concentrate 1531 00:54:17,850 --> 00:54:18,170 on. 1532 00:54:18,470 --> 00:54:20,570 Not taking the Bible literally. 1533 00:54:21,650 --> 00:54:24,230 Not taking this literally and living as if 1534 00:54:24,230 --> 00:54:25,490 it's truth, because it is. 1535 00:54:27,010 --> 00:54:30,170 And people, you will not be deceived if 1536 00:54:30,170 --> 00:54:31,610 you're in this, if you're in the Word 1537 00:54:31,610 --> 00:54:32,790 and the Word is in you and you're 1538 00:54:32,790 --> 00:54:34,830 obeying the Word, you won't be deceived. 1539 00:54:35,530 --> 00:54:38,110 It's when we get away from this that 1540 00:54:38,110 --> 00:54:39,150 deception comes in. 1541 00:54:39,890 --> 00:54:43,530 And the last area of deception is many 1542 00:54:43,530 --> 00:54:45,650 people are not ready for His return. 1543 00:54:47,050 --> 00:54:48,410 Many people are not ready. 1544 00:54:48,610 --> 00:54:49,610 He's coming back. 1545 00:54:50,290 --> 00:54:53,130 I'm as sure as I am of that 1546 00:54:53,130 --> 00:54:55,450 sun coming up tomorrow morning, that He is 1547 00:54:55,450 --> 00:54:55,830 coming back. 1548 00:54:55,910 --> 00:54:57,070 People are just not prepared. 1549 00:54:57,430 --> 00:54:58,370 They're not ready. 1550 00:54:58,490 --> 00:55:00,170 He said, as in the days of Noah, 1551 00:55:00,850 --> 00:55:02,390 so will be when the Son of Man 1552 00:55:02,390 --> 00:55:02,710 comes. 1553 00:55:02,790 --> 00:55:04,090 You'll be eating, you'll be drinking, you'll be 1554 00:55:04,090 --> 00:55:06,670 marrying, and that day will come upon you 1555 00:55:06,670 --> 00:55:07,370 unexpectedly. 1556 00:55:08,810 --> 00:55:10,430 So I don't know where you're at with 1557 00:55:10,430 --> 00:55:12,010 God, but don't let it come upon you 1558 00:55:12,010 --> 00:55:12,730 unexpectedly. 1559 00:55:14,970 --> 00:55:16,350 All you have to say is, Lord, I'm 1560 00:55:16,350 --> 00:55:16,890 not ready. 1561 00:55:17,990 --> 00:55:19,490 I'm not ready and I need to be 1562 00:55:19,490 --> 00:55:19,790 ready. 1563 00:55:19,930 --> 00:55:22,150 I'm confessing with my mouth that Christ is 1564 00:55:22,150 --> 00:55:22,430 Lord. 1565 00:55:23,030 --> 00:55:26,090 I'm believing in my heart that You saved 1566 00:55:26,090 --> 00:55:27,210 me. 1567 00:55:27,410 --> 00:55:30,350 He rose from the dead and I'm surrendering 1568 00:55:30,350 --> 00:55:31,330 my life to You. 1569 00:55:32,350 --> 00:55:33,670 I'm ready for Your return. 1570 00:55:35,070 --> 00:55:37,690 Now also though, Jesus says, don't let your 1571 00:55:37,690 --> 00:55:41,190 life be weighed down with drunkenness, carousing, and 1572 00:55:41,190 --> 00:55:42,550 the cares of this life. 1573 00:55:43,110 --> 00:55:45,170 And that day will come upon you unexpectedly. 1574 00:55:46,210 --> 00:55:48,010 And I sometimes have a concern for Christians 1575 00:55:48,010 --> 00:55:50,530 who are not living for Christ. 1576 00:55:51,190 --> 00:55:52,430 He's a back burner. 1577 00:55:52,530 --> 00:55:53,590 He's not even on the stove. 1578 00:55:54,610 --> 00:55:56,090 He says, oh yeah, I go to church 1579 00:55:56,090 --> 00:55:56,630 on Sunday. 1580 00:55:56,630 --> 00:55:59,590 But He says, please don't let that day 1581 00:55:59,590 --> 00:56:00,790 come upon you unexpectedly. 1582 00:56:02,450 --> 00:56:04,470 People say, well, would they lose their salvation? 1583 00:56:04,750 --> 00:56:05,450 Would this happen? 1584 00:56:06,850 --> 00:56:09,070 All I know is when Jesus says, don't 1585 00:56:09,070 --> 00:56:11,630 let that day come upon you unexpectedly, it 1586 00:56:11,630 --> 00:56:12,910 means you need to be prepared. 1587 00:56:13,670 --> 00:56:15,150 Get your life in such a way. 1588 00:56:15,570 --> 00:56:16,910 Shane, I can't overcome this addiction. 1589 00:56:17,130 --> 00:56:18,750 Shane, I don't have a love for God 1590 00:56:18,750 --> 00:56:19,090 and His Word. 1591 00:56:20,090 --> 00:56:21,250 Shane, what's wrong with me? 1592 00:56:21,530 --> 00:56:23,290 What's wrong with you is the flesh has 1593 00:56:23,290 --> 00:56:25,870 taken residence in your home, in your heart. 1594 00:56:26,670 --> 00:56:28,010 And you need to repent to that. 1595 00:56:28,130 --> 00:56:29,670 You say, God, give me the desire. 1596 00:56:29,830 --> 00:56:30,710 Give me the willingness. 1597 00:56:30,930 --> 00:56:33,070 Give me the love for Your Word and 1598 00:56:33,070 --> 00:56:34,730 for truth so I can follow You all 1599 00:56:34,730 --> 00:56:35,670 the days of my life.