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Welcome!

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We're thrilled to have you here.

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Ray and I got in early this morning,

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so if we have circles under our eyes,

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because we're working on about an hour's sleep.

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But we have been so pumped up about

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this event, and this is so exciting to

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see all these people here, with a heart

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desiring to learn more about how to share

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your faith effectively.

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And there may be some people here this

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afternoon who have not really stepped foot in

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church, but you're here to maybe check out

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what Mike Steber has to say from the

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pulpit.

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That's okay, too.

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I'm not all that comfortable in a lot

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of churches, but everybody here is really friendly,

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and so I'm comfortable, and I hope you

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are, too.

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Most people ask me when they meet me

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what I have in common with Mike Steber,

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and I usually point out the fact that

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we tend to look a lot alike, and

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the fact that we both married the same

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woman.

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See, Mike Steber married a girl named Kate

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on the show, and the girl that played

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Kate is Chelsea Noble, and I married her

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in real life.

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We've been married for 12 years now, and

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we have 6 kids.

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And my kids are 6, 5, 4, 3,

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2, and Chelsea is 8 months pregnant.

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So we have a real full house at

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home, and that's why I took the red

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eye last night, so that I can spend

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as much time here as possible.

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But it's an honor and a privilege to

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be here with you this afternoon.

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I want to tell you really quickly how

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I became a Christian.

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I was the last guy in the world

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that I ever thought would become a Christian.

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I thought Christians were just religious fanatics, weirdos,

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people believing in fairy tales.

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I was a devout atheist most of my

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life.

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When I was 14 years old, I got

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this job on Growing Pains.

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I had the world by the tail.

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I was doing everything that I wanted to

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do.

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I was making money, rich, famous, could hang

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out with actors, actresses, movie stars, parties, whatever

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I wanted.

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If I didn't have something, it was simply

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because I didn't want it.

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I had never heard the gospel before in

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my entire life.

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My mom tried to talk to me about

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God when I was a little kid, and

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I just laughed at her.

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I said, Mom, that's fairy tales.

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You know, like, come on.

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We didn't have a nativity in our house

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at Christmas time.

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I had no clue who Jesus was or

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what that was all about.

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I was an atheist.

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And I met a girl.

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She was cute.

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She invited me to go to church.

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I thought it would be a good idea

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to accept the invitation, even though it was

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to a church.

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I sat in the back row with my

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arms folded, and I heard this pastor begin

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to explain what the Bible said about God.

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And he shared the gospel, the whole gospel,

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the whole thing, from beginning to end, about

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God's holiness and purity and his righteousness, his

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power, his awesome God.

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He's talked about sin and selfishness and how

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God is offended and angry by the sin

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of people who rebel against him and do

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what they know is wrong.

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It's just sort of do it in the

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face of God.

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And he talked about God's punishment.

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And he talked about hell.

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But then he talked about the mercy and

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compassion of God and explained about how Jesus

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died on the cross to provide a way

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for us to be forgiven in this incredible

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demonstration of God's love for those who have

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offended and angered him.

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And I was just blown away by this.

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I'd never really heard it this way before.

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I left the church with lots of questions

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for my friend.

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And it was about a month later, I

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couldn't stop thinking about this stuff, and it

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finally occurred to me that one day I

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would die.

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I knew that I was going to die

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one day, and if this was true and

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there was a God and a heaven, I

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wouldn't be going.

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And I knew that my attitude had separated

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me from God and that there's no reason

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he should let me into heaven.

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And it really bothered me.

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And I thought, maybe I'm wrong about this,

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I don't know.

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I'm going to pray.

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I didn't know how to do it.

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I pulled my car over.

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I closed my eyes and I just said,

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God, if you're there, I need to know.

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If you're real, would you please show me?

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And would you please forgive me?

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And would you change me into the person

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that you want me to be?

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And I opened my eyes.

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I didn't see a vision of Jesus on

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the windshield.

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I didn't feel the Holy Spirit rushing through

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the air conditioning vents.

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Nothing weird.

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I just had this very strange sense that

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God was there.

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That he heard me.

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That he was listening.

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It was real to me.

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I can't prove it to you.

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I can't explain it.

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But it was just real.

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And I went home.

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Someone gave me a Bible.

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I began to study it and learn about

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this amazing God who revealed himself in nature

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and in sunsets and in space.

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And in the Bible.

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And instead of just treating me according to

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my sins and what I deserve, he's looked

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beyond that and said, No, I want to

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provide a way for you to be forgiven

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and give you something you don't deserve.

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My love and my forgiveness.

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And he paid the price to make that

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possible.

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That's the God I've fallen in love with

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and I've surrendered my life to.

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And I can tell you of all the

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things I've ever done in my life, of

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all the people I've met, of the places

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I've been, absolutely nothing compares to knowing Jesus

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Christ, being forgiven of my sin, and being

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in a right relationship with God.

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I've been a Christian for about 14 years.

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And one of the things that immediately sprang

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to my mind was, I need to tell

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people about this.

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I need to explain to them that Jesus

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isn't just a fairy tale.

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This is important stuff.

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We're talking about eternity, heaven, and hell.

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And Jesus said, I'm the way, the truth,

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and the life.

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No one comes to the Father but through

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me.

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And now I understood why.

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Because he died on that cross and somebody

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explained it and it made sense to me.

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And so I wanted to share my faith

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with other people because I want the people

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I love to go to heaven.

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I don't want them going to hell when

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they die.

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And Jesus said clearly, without Jesus, they're going

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to hell.

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Man, this is important stuff.

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And so I try to learn how to

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share my faith and do it effectively.

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And whenever I had an opportunity, I'd muster

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up the courage and I'd share my testimony

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with somebody.

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For you non-Christians, that just means, share

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what Jesus has done in my life.

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And I'd have two responses that were very

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common.

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Both were very frustrating.

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One was, people would say, hey, Kirk, I'm

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really happy for you.

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I'm glad you found something that works for

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you.

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But I've got my own beliefs that I'm

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quite happy with and I don't need Jesus.

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And if I'd say, yeah, you do, we'd

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get into an argument and it would just

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go nowhere.

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The other response is, sometimes people would say,

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oh man, that's really interesting.

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I'll go to church with you.

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And then the pastor would even give an

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invitation for people to come and receive Christ

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as their Savior.

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And this guy wants to come forward.

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And I'm excited.

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And he says his prayer.

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And I'm thinking, yahoo, this guy's God.

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The light bulb went off, he's a Christian.

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And then I find that it's not long

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before he stops coming to church.

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I can't get him to go to any

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church.

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He's really not interested in church.

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He's not interested in reading his Bible.

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He's not longing and seeking to obey the

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Lord and live in a way that's pleasing

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to the Lord.

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He's not interested in the things of God

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at all.

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He was just checking Christianity out to see

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if it was all that Kirk Cameron said

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it was.

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And he kind of drifts off into Never

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Never Land.

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He's into something else and tries something else.

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Living in immorality and cussing and swearing and

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drinking and partying.

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All the stuff that is not the mark

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of a Christian who's been changed.

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And he falls into the category of what

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we commonly call a backslider.

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And I found that I wasn't the only

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one experiencing these kinds of results in sharing

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the gospel with people.

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And people coming forward to receive Christ.

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There's something in church today that we call

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a fallaway rate.

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Pastors know about it.

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It's the number of people who sort of

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fall away and become backsliders after they've made

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this decision for Christ.

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The current fallaway rate in the church today

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is something like 80%.

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I'm going to explain to you a little

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more specifically what that means.

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That means that there are something like 80

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to 90 backsliders for every 100 decisions for

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Christ.

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And that's normal statistics right now.

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I'll make it even more real for you.

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In 1991, a major U.S. denomination was

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able to obtain 294,000 decisions for Christ.

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That is, in one year they obtained 294

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,000 decisions for Christ.

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And unfortunately, they could only find 14,000

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of those people in fellowship.

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That means they couldn't account for 280,000

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of those decisions.

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And that's normal, modern, evangelistic results.

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I was shocked when I heard this.

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And it caused me to really look into

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the Word of God and study the Word

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of God and study other preachers, like Charles

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Spurgeon and Wesley and Moody and great men

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of God that God has used to bring

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people to Christ who have turned into passionate

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believers, not backsliders.

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And I found that they used a principle

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that was very unique to what I had

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been taught.

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00:09:07,620 --> 00:09:10,140
And then specifically I realized that Jesus used

277
00:09:10,140 --> 00:09:13,940
this same principle that's very foreign to the

278
00:09:13,940 --> 00:09:16,660
way that I was taught to share the

279
00:09:16,660 --> 00:09:17,000
gospel.

280
00:09:20,010 --> 00:09:21,050
And I want to give you an example.

281
00:09:22,010 --> 00:09:24,810
In Mark 10, verse 17, we have the

282
00:09:24,810 --> 00:09:26,550
story of the rich young ruler who runs

283
00:09:26,550 --> 00:09:27,810
up to Jesus, the Bible says.

284
00:09:28,010 --> 00:09:30,030
He runs up to him, gets down on

285
00:09:30,030 --> 00:09:33,110
his knees, and he says, Good teacher, what

286
00:09:33,110 --> 00:09:34,830
must I do to inherit eternal life?

287
00:09:36,270 --> 00:09:38,050
Now I don't know about you, but if

288
00:09:38,050 --> 00:09:39,470
someone ever did that to me, I would

289
00:09:39,470 --> 00:09:40,750
be pretty excited.

290
00:09:41,330 --> 00:09:42,790
I mean, that would be an opportunity of

291
00:09:42,790 --> 00:09:43,150
a lifetime.

292
00:09:44,490 --> 00:09:46,050
Good teacher, what must I do to inherit

293
00:09:46,050 --> 00:09:46,710
eternal life?

294
00:09:48,170 --> 00:09:49,990
Now, notice what Jesus said to the guy.

295
00:09:51,270 --> 00:09:52,770
First of all, notice what he didn't say.

296
00:09:52,950 --> 00:09:55,630
Notice he did not say, Oh, my friend,

297
00:09:55,930 --> 00:09:57,090
I'm so glad you asked.

298
00:09:57,850 --> 00:09:59,770
Listen, you've got a God-shaped hole in

299
00:09:59,770 --> 00:10:01,450
your heart that only God can fill.

300
00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:06,100
And in a little while, I'm going to

301
00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:06,920
die on a cross.

302
00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,100
And if you will just believe in me

303
00:10:09,100 --> 00:10:10,620
with all your heart and say this prayer

304
00:10:10,620 --> 00:10:14,750
and mean it, you will go to heaven

305
00:10:14,750 --> 00:10:15,370
when you die.

306
00:10:16,410 --> 00:10:17,670
No, Jesus didn't say that.

307
00:10:19,190 --> 00:10:21,810
He said, Why do you call me good?

308
00:10:23,430 --> 00:10:25,550
There is no one who is good but

309
00:10:25,550 --> 00:10:26,730
one, that is God.

310
00:10:30,180 --> 00:10:31,800
I'm scratching my head as Jesus said this,

311
00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:33,300
and I'm thinking to myself, Man, he really,

312
00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:35,500
where's he going with this?

313
00:10:35,540 --> 00:10:36,740
I mean, it really seemed like Jesus could

314
00:10:36,740 --> 00:10:38,740
have benefited from a friendship evangelism course.

315
00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,860
There's no one who's good except one, that

316
00:10:44,860 --> 00:10:45,400
is God.

317
00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:51,180
And then, he corrected this man's understanding of

318
00:10:51,180 --> 00:10:54,640
what good was and pointed him to the

319
00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:55,260
Ten Commandments.

320
00:10:55,300 --> 00:10:57,280
And he gave him five of them.

321
00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,260
He said, You know the commandments.

322
00:10:59,820 --> 00:11:01,400
You shall not lie, you shall not steal,

323
00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,320
you shall not commit adultery, you shall not

324
00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:03,660
murder.

325
00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:05,300
Honor your father and your mother.

326
00:11:07,140 --> 00:11:08,720
And the man said, Yes, I've kept all

327
00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:09,960
these since I was a youth.

328
00:11:11,340 --> 00:11:13,840
And Jesus said, Well, there's one more thing

329
00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,880
that you lack.

330
00:11:15,940 --> 00:11:16,940
And he pointed him to the essence of

331
00:11:16,940 --> 00:11:18,100
the first and the second commandment.

332
00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,080
And he said, Go and sell all your

333
00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:21,860
goods and give to the poor.

334
00:11:21,940 --> 00:11:23,040
Then you'll have treasure in heaven.

335
00:11:23,340 --> 00:11:24,380
And then come, follow me.

336
00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:26,580
And the Bible says the man went away

337
00:11:26,580 --> 00:11:27,180
very sad.

338
00:11:27,580 --> 00:11:28,200
He just left.

339
00:11:29,100 --> 00:11:31,640
Jesus didn't chase after him, trying to strike

340
00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:32,700
up a friendship with the guy.

341
00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:34,680
He just left.

342
00:11:34,740 --> 00:11:37,280
And I'm scratching my head thinking, Man, what

343
00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:38,040
was Jesus doing?

344
00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,320
That's not the way you're supposed to do

345
00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:40,520
it.

346
00:11:42,310 --> 00:11:43,490
I mean, that's not what I learned in

347
00:11:43,490 --> 00:11:44,870
my discipleship evangelism course.

348
00:11:44,930 --> 00:11:46,450
He didn't talk about God's love.

349
00:11:46,510 --> 00:11:47,250
He didn't pray with him.

350
00:11:47,290 --> 00:11:48,390
He didn't talk about God's grace.

351
00:11:48,510 --> 00:11:48,790
Nothing.

352
00:11:49,310 --> 00:11:50,110
What happened?

353
00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,820
It was my immature understanding of what Jesus

354
00:11:54,820 --> 00:11:55,260
was doing.

355
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,460
He was putting into practice a principle that

356
00:11:58,460 --> 00:12:01,800
is extremely effective and necessary for preparing a

357
00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,080
person's heart for grace.

358
00:12:06,310 --> 00:12:09,090
And Jesus used it all the time with

359
00:12:09,090 --> 00:12:10,390
proud, self-righteous people.

360
00:12:10,490 --> 00:12:11,870
And so did Paul and so did Peter.

361
00:12:12,770 --> 00:12:15,770
And all the great men of God who

362
00:12:15,770 --> 00:12:17,650
have used the principles of biblical evangelism down

363
00:12:17,650 --> 00:12:18,210
through the ages.

364
00:12:21,370 --> 00:12:23,190
I've begun putting this principle into practice myself

365
00:12:23,190 --> 00:12:24,930
and found the results to be life-changing

366
00:12:24,930 --> 00:12:28,210
and amazing in my talking with non-Christians

367
00:12:28,210 --> 00:12:30,210
about the gospel because it helps the gospel

368
00:12:30,210 --> 00:12:31,950
make perfect sense.

369
00:12:32,990 --> 00:12:34,590
I want to explain it to you today

370
00:12:34,590 --> 00:12:37,930
in a message that we call Hell's Best

371
00:12:37,930 --> 00:12:38,390
Kept Secret.

372
00:12:38,690 --> 00:12:39,970
I first heard it from a man named

373
00:12:39,970 --> 00:12:40,470
Ray Comfort.

374
00:12:41,350 --> 00:12:42,530
It rocked my whole world.

375
00:12:42,530 --> 00:12:43,490
And I want to share it with you

376
00:12:43,490 --> 00:12:46,690
just the way that I was taught it.

377
00:12:47,570 --> 00:12:48,810
If you have your Bibles, pull out your

378
00:12:48,810 --> 00:12:49,090
Bibles.

379
00:12:49,750 --> 00:12:50,610
You don't want to take notes.

380
00:12:53,050 --> 00:12:54,150
We're going to put the verses up on

381
00:12:54,150 --> 00:12:55,350
the screen so that you can see them.

382
00:12:57,030 --> 00:12:57,950
And we're going to go through them kind

383
00:12:57,950 --> 00:12:59,890
of quickly just in the interest of time.

384
00:13:00,870 --> 00:13:01,990
So, listen fast.

385
00:13:04,700 --> 00:13:05,660
If you don't have a Bible and notes,

386
00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:06,080
that's okay.

387
00:13:08,940 --> 00:13:11,000
You can hear this message later on tape

388
00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,280
through our website and we've got resources out

389
00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:15,160
in the back and you can catch it

390
00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,040
all in the notes and things later.

391
00:13:18,860 --> 00:13:19,300
Okay.

392
00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,360
The Bible says in Psalm 19, verse 7,

393
00:13:24,740 --> 00:13:27,280
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting

394
00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:27,760
the soul.

395
00:13:28,300 --> 00:13:30,160
Now, what is it that the Bible says

396
00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:31,880
is perfect and actually converts the soul?

397
00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:33,300
It's right there.

398
00:13:33,980 --> 00:13:34,820
The Scripture makes it clear.

399
00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:36,500
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting

400
00:13:36,500 --> 00:13:36,940
the soul.

401
00:13:37,540 --> 00:13:40,980
Now, to demonstrate the function of God's law,

402
00:13:40,980 --> 00:13:42,280
I'd like us to look for a moment

403
00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:43,380
at our own civil law.

404
00:13:44,500 --> 00:13:47,440
Imagine if I said to you, I've got

405
00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:48,440
some good news for you.

406
00:13:48,820 --> 00:13:52,360
Someone has just paid a $25,000 speeding

407
00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:53,800
fine on your behalf.

408
00:13:55,750 --> 00:13:57,830
You'd probably look at me and say, What?

409
00:13:58,290 --> 00:13:59,210
What are you talking about?

410
00:13:59,250 --> 00:14:00,030
That's not good news.

411
00:14:00,610 --> 00:14:01,590
It doesn't make sense.

412
00:14:02,090 --> 00:14:04,510
I don't have a $25,000 speeding fine.

413
00:14:05,310 --> 00:14:06,710
My good news wouldn't be good news to

414
00:14:06,710 --> 00:14:06,890
you.

415
00:14:07,030 --> 00:14:08,270
It would sound like foolishness.

416
00:14:08,830 --> 00:14:11,210
But more than that, it would sound offensive.

417
00:14:12,710 --> 00:14:15,690
Because I'm actually insinuating that you've broken the

418
00:14:15,690 --> 00:14:17,670
law when you don't think you have.

419
00:14:18,470 --> 00:14:19,790
As far as you're concerned, you're a very

420
00:14:19,790 --> 00:14:20,210
good driver.

421
00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:23,820
However, if I said it to you this

422
00:14:23,820 --> 00:14:25,080
way, it might make more sense.

423
00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,480
On the way to this meeting today, the

424
00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:30,840
law clocked you at going 55 miles an

425
00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,260
hour through an area set aside for a

426
00:14:33,260 --> 00:14:34,740
blind children's convention.

427
00:14:37,660 --> 00:14:40,400
There were 10 clear warning signs stating that

428
00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,860
15 miles an hour was the maximum speed,

429
00:14:42,860 --> 00:14:45,600
and you went straight through at 55 miles

430
00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:46,000
an hour.

431
00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,920
What you did was extremely dangerous.

432
00:14:51,220 --> 00:14:52,940
There's a $25,000 fine.

433
00:14:53,220 --> 00:14:54,860
The law was about to take its course

434
00:14:54,860 --> 00:14:57,320
when someone you don't even know stepped in

435
00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,220
and paid the fine for you.

436
00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:01,060
You are very fortunate.

437
00:15:02,580 --> 00:15:05,260
Can you see that by telling you precisely

438
00:15:05,260 --> 00:15:08,200
what you've done wrong first actually makes the

439
00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:09,720
good news make sense?

440
00:15:10,420 --> 00:15:12,220
If I don't help you clearly understand that

441
00:15:12,220 --> 00:15:16,340
you've broken the law, then my good news

442
00:15:16,340 --> 00:15:18,160
is going to sound like foolishness.

443
00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:18,900
It's going to be offensive.

444
00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,240
But once you understand that you've violated the

445
00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,800
law, then the good news of the fine

446
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:29,000
being paid for you becomes truly good news.

447
00:15:31,650 --> 00:15:32,970
Now, in the same way, if I go

448
00:15:32,970 --> 00:15:39,270
up to a normal, unrepentant, non-Christian, and

449
00:15:39,270 --> 00:15:41,610
I say to him, I've got some good

450
00:15:41,610 --> 00:15:42,390
news for you, man.

451
00:15:42,790 --> 00:15:44,390
Jesus Christ died on the cross for your

452
00:15:44,390 --> 00:15:44,810
sins.

453
00:15:46,130 --> 00:15:47,730
It's going to sound like foolishness to him.

454
00:15:48,190 --> 00:15:48,970
It's going to be offensive.

455
00:15:50,030 --> 00:15:51,410
It's not going to make sense.

456
00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:56,780
It's foolishness because it really doesn't make sense.

457
00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:57,700
The Bible says that.

458
00:15:58,020 --> 00:16:01,080
The preaching of the cross is foolishness to

459
00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:01,920
those who are perishing.

460
00:16:02,660 --> 00:16:07,120
And offensive because I'm insinuating that the guy's

461
00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:08,940
a sinner when he doesn't think he is.

462
00:16:09,380 --> 00:16:11,000
As far as he's concerned, there's plenty of

463
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,080
people far worse than he is.

464
00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:13,800
He doesn't think he's a bad guy at

465
00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:14,060
all.

466
00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,540
But if I take the time to follow

467
00:16:17,540 --> 00:16:19,480
in the footsteps of Jesus, it might make

468
00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:20,040
more sense.

469
00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:21,680
If I take the time to open up

470
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,380
the divine law, the Ten Commandments, and show

471
00:16:25,380 --> 00:16:29,340
him precisely what he's done wrong first, that

472
00:16:29,340 --> 00:16:33,160
he's actually angered God by violating his law,

473
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,160
then when he becomes convinced that he's guilty,

474
00:16:37,180 --> 00:16:39,700
or as the Bible says, convinced by the

475
00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:44,440
law a transgressor, then the good news of

476
00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,180
the fine being paid for him will not

477
00:16:46,180 --> 00:16:47,120
be foolishness.

478
00:16:47,460 --> 00:16:48,560
It will not be offensive.

479
00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,520
It will be the power of God to

480
00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:52,020
salvation.

481
00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:54,080
Make sense?

482
00:16:55,860 --> 00:16:57,340
Now with that thought in mind, let's take

483
00:16:57,340 --> 00:17:00,240
a look at Romans 3, verse 19.

484
00:17:01,980 --> 00:17:04,200
Now we know that whatever things the law

485
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:05,640
says, it says to those who are under

486
00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,099
the law that every mouth may be stopped

487
00:17:09,099 --> 00:17:11,660
and all the world may become guilty before

488
00:17:11,660 --> 00:17:12,020
God.

489
00:17:12,180 --> 00:17:13,819
So that's one function of God's law.

490
00:17:14,099 --> 00:17:17,900
To stop the mouth of sinners and leave

491
00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:19,599
the whole world guilty before God.

492
00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,260
To stop the mouth of a person saying,

493
00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:22,920
I'm not a bad person.

494
00:17:23,660 --> 00:17:25,260
No, I'm a very good person.

495
00:17:25,619 --> 00:17:27,260
It stops the mouth of a person trying

496
00:17:27,260 --> 00:17:30,040
to justify themselves and leaves the whole world

497
00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:31,000
guilty before God.

498
00:17:32,260 --> 00:17:33,020
Next verse.

499
00:17:34,860 --> 00:17:36,880
Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no

500
00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,520
flesh shall be justified in his sight, for

501
00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:41,740
by the law is the knowledge of sin.

502
00:17:42,460 --> 00:17:45,420
So God's law tells us what sin is.

503
00:17:46,140 --> 00:17:51,900
1 John 3, verse 4 says, Sin is

504
00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,360
transgression of the law.

505
00:17:54,780 --> 00:17:56,440
That's the biblical definition of sin.

506
00:17:58,750 --> 00:18:00,090
Transgression of the law.

507
00:18:00,810 --> 00:18:02,290
Romans 7, verse 7.

508
00:18:03,850 --> 00:18:07,090
I had not known sin except through the

509
00:18:07,090 --> 00:18:07,330
law.

510
00:18:07,330 --> 00:18:09,050
So what Paul is saying here is, I

511
00:18:09,050 --> 00:18:13,530
wouldn't have known what sin was unless the

512
00:18:13,530 --> 00:18:14,370
law had told me.

513
00:18:15,310 --> 00:18:16,750
That's how he knew what sin was.

514
00:18:17,390 --> 00:18:19,130
And Galatians 3, verse 24.

515
00:18:20,190 --> 00:18:22,650
The law was our schoolmaster to bring us

516
00:18:22,650 --> 00:18:25,130
to Christ that we might be justified by

517
00:18:25,130 --> 00:18:25,550
faith.

518
00:18:26,110 --> 00:18:28,510
So the law teaches us.

519
00:18:29,030 --> 00:18:32,690
It is a schoolmaster that leads us to

520
00:18:32,690 --> 00:18:35,390
Jesus Christ so that we might be justified

521
00:18:35,390 --> 00:18:37,210
through faith in his blood.

522
00:18:38,470 --> 00:18:40,870
The law doesn't justify us.

523
00:18:41,150 --> 00:18:44,230
It just leaves us guilty.

524
00:18:45,630 --> 00:18:48,470
The law doesn't help us.

525
00:18:48,690 --> 00:18:50,270
It just leaves us helpless.

526
00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:54,800
We are saved by God's grace.

527
00:18:55,700 --> 00:18:57,260
We are not saved by the law.

528
00:18:58,380 --> 00:19:00,260
The law is just like a mirror that

529
00:19:00,260 --> 00:19:02,220
shows us that we're filthy, dirty, and in

530
00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:07,200
desperate need of God's cleansing, which comes through

531
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:08,720
faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

532
00:19:11,260 --> 00:19:14,180
And the tragedy of modern evangelism is that

533
00:19:14,180 --> 00:19:15,800
around the turn of the last century, about

534
00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,780
100 years ago, when it got rid of

535
00:19:18,780 --> 00:19:20,980
the law and its ability to convert the

536
00:19:20,980 --> 00:19:25,440
soul, to drive sinners to Christ, modern evangelism

537
00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,920
therefore had to find another reason for sinners

538
00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:29,580
to respond to the gospel.

539
00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,640
And the issue that modern evangelism chose to

540
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,100
attract people to Jesus was the issue of

541
00:19:36,100 --> 00:19:37,080
life enhancement.

542
00:19:39,350 --> 00:19:44,450
The gospel degenerated into Jesus Christ will give

543
00:19:44,450 --> 00:19:49,410
you love, joy, peace, happiness, and lasting fulfillment.

544
00:19:51,700 --> 00:19:55,320
Now to demonstrate the unscriptural nature of this

545
00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,180
very popular teaching, I'd like you to listen

546
00:19:58,180 --> 00:19:59,980
to the following story because the essence of

547
00:19:59,980 --> 00:20:02,640
what I'm saying pivots on this particular point.

548
00:20:05,770 --> 00:20:07,090
Two men are seated on an airplane.

549
00:20:08,110 --> 00:20:10,130
The first is given a parachute, and he's

550
00:20:10,130 --> 00:20:12,790
told to put it on because it would

551
00:20:12,790 --> 00:20:13,770
improve his flight.

552
00:20:15,590 --> 00:20:17,290
Now the guy's a little skeptical at first

553
00:20:17,290 --> 00:20:18,810
because he can't see how putting a parachute

554
00:20:18,810 --> 00:20:21,070
on in a plane could possibly improve his

555
00:20:21,070 --> 00:20:21,310
flight.

556
00:20:22,210 --> 00:20:24,130
But after a while, he decides to experiment

557
00:20:24,130 --> 00:20:25,490
and see if the claim is true.

558
00:20:26,610 --> 00:20:30,530
And as he does, he notices the weight

559
00:20:30,530 --> 00:20:32,330
of it on his shoulders and the fact

560
00:20:32,330 --> 00:20:33,490
that he can't sit straight up.

561
00:20:33,990 --> 00:20:35,950
But he comforts himself with the thought that

562
00:20:35,950 --> 00:20:37,450
he was told the parachute would improve his

563
00:20:37,450 --> 00:20:38,990
flight, so he decides to give the thing

564
00:20:38,990 --> 00:20:39,570
a little time.

565
00:20:40,550 --> 00:20:41,930
And as he waits, he starts to notice

566
00:20:41,930 --> 00:20:43,410
some of the other passengers are laughing at

567
00:20:43,410 --> 00:20:46,430
him because he's wearing a parachute on a

568
00:20:46,430 --> 00:20:46,670
plane.

569
00:20:48,130 --> 00:20:50,290
He starts to feel a bit humiliated.

570
00:20:50,690 --> 00:20:52,850
And as they point and laugh, he finally

571
00:20:52,850 --> 00:20:54,070
can't stand it any longer.

572
00:20:54,590 --> 00:20:56,330
He slinks in his seat, unstraps the parachute,

573
00:20:56,450 --> 00:20:57,570
and throws it on the floor.

574
00:21:00,250 --> 00:21:02,570
Disillusionment and bitterness fill his heart.

575
00:21:04,940 --> 00:21:06,540
Because as far as he's concerned, he was

576
00:21:06,540 --> 00:21:07,420
told an outright lie.

577
00:21:09,180 --> 00:21:10,860
Now the second man is given a parachute,

578
00:21:11,060 --> 00:21:12,020
but listen to what he's told.

579
00:21:12,660 --> 00:21:14,320
He's told to put it on because at

580
00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,220
any moment he would be jumping 25,000

581
00:21:17,220 --> 00:21:18,420
feet out of the plane.

582
00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,000
He gratefully puts it on.

583
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:22,880
He doesn't notice the weight of it on

584
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:24,240
his shoulders or the fact that he can't

585
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:24,840
sit straight up.

586
00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:27,200
His mind is consumed with the thought of

587
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,100
what would happen to him if he jumped

588
00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:30,500
without that parachute.

589
00:21:32,930 --> 00:21:35,570
Now let's analyze the motive and the result

590
00:21:35,570 --> 00:21:36,950
of each passenger's experience.

591
00:21:37,290 --> 00:21:38,770
The first man's motive for putting on the

592
00:21:38,770 --> 00:21:41,450
parachute was solely to improve his flight.

593
00:21:41,930 --> 00:21:44,010
The result of his experience was that he

594
00:21:44,010 --> 00:21:47,430
was humiliated by the passengers, he was disillusioned

595
00:21:47,430 --> 00:21:49,910
and somewhat bitter toward those who gave him

596
00:21:49,910 --> 00:21:50,410
the parachute.

597
00:21:51,310 --> 00:21:52,830
As far as he's concerned, it'll be a

598
00:21:52,830 --> 00:21:54,490
long time before someone gets one of those

599
00:21:54,490 --> 00:21:55,510
things on his back again.

600
00:21:57,610 --> 00:21:59,190
Now the second man put on the parachute

601
00:22:00,290 --> 00:22:02,590
solely to escape the jump to come.

602
00:22:03,710 --> 00:22:05,690
And because of his knowledge of what would

603
00:22:05,690 --> 00:22:08,550
happen to him without the parachute, he has

604
00:22:08,550 --> 00:22:10,670
a deep-rooted joy and peace in his

605
00:22:10,670 --> 00:22:13,330
heart knowing that he's going to be saved

606
00:22:13,330 --> 00:22:14,410
from sure death.

607
00:22:15,610 --> 00:22:17,970
This knowledge gives him the ability to withstand

608
00:22:17,970 --> 00:22:19,510
the mockery of the other passengers.

609
00:22:20,630 --> 00:22:23,170
His attitude toward those who gave him the

610
00:22:23,170 --> 00:22:25,750
parachute is one of heartfelt gratitude.

611
00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,280
Now listen to what the modern Gospel says.

612
00:22:32,110 --> 00:22:33,730
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

613
00:22:33,730 --> 00:22:36,970
He'll give you love, joy, peace, happiness and

614
00:22:36,970 --> 00:22:38,110
lasting fulfillment.

615
00:22:38,550 --> 00:22:41,590
In other words, Jesus will improve your flight.

616
00:22:42,550 --> 00:22:44,850
And so the sinner responds and in an

617
00:22:44,850 --> 00:22:47,910
experimental fashion puts on the Savior to see

618
00:22:47,910 --> 00:22:48,950
if the claim is true.

619
00:22:49,750 --> 00:22:50,850
And what does he get?

620
00:22:51,990 --> 00:22:53,490
Just what Jesus promised.

621
00:22:54,750 --> 00:22:56,870
Temptation, tribulation, persecution.

622
00:22:57,770 --> 00:22:59,150
The other passengers mock him.

623
00:22:59,730 --> 00:23:00,650
So what does he do?

624
00:23:00,850 --> 00:23:02,610
He takes off the Lord Jesus Christ.

625
00:23:02,610 --> 00:23:05,610
He's offended, for the word's sake.

626
00:23:05,830 --> 00:23:07,610
He's disillusioned and embittered.

627
00:23:08,290 --> 00:23:09,330
And quite rightly so.

628
00:23:09,590 --> 00:23:12,370
He was promised peace, love, joy, happiness, fulfillment.

629
00:23:12,590 --> 00:23:15,330
And all he got were trials and humiliation.

630
00:23:16,610 --> 00:23:19,210
His bitterness is directed toward those who gave

631
00:23:19,210 --> 00:23:21,170
him the so-called good news.

632
00:23:21,990 --> 00:23:23,530
And now he's worse off than he was

633
00:23:23,530 --> 00:23:25,970
before because now he thinks he's given Jesus

634
00:23:25,970 --> 00:23:28,370
a try and all he got was a

635
00:23:28,370 --> 00:23:28,990
big letdown.

636
00:23:29,950 --> 00:23:34,090
Another bitter and inoculated backslider.

637
00:23:35,630 --> 00:23:38,810
Instead of telling people that Jesus improves their

638
00:23:38,810 --> 00:23:42,230
flight, we should be warning the passengers they're

639
00:23:42,230 --> 00:23:43,650
going to have to jump out of the

640
00:23:43,650 --> 00:23:44,010
plane.

641
00:23:45,450 --> 00:23:47,370
That it's appointed for a man once to

642
00:23:47,370 --> 00:23:49,630
die and then comes judgment.

643
00:23:51,130 --> 00:23:53,790
And when a sinner understands the horrific consequences

644
00:23:53,790 --> 00:23:57,930
of violating God's law, then he will run

645
00:23:57,930 --> 00:24:00,950
to the Savior to escape the wrath that's

646
00:24:00,950 --> 00:24:01,430
to come.

647
00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:05,720
And if we're true and faithful witnesses, that's

648
00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:06,800
what we'll be telling them.

649
00:24:07,100 --> 00:24:08,660
That there is wrath to come.

650
00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:11,300
Just like Jesus did.

651
00:24:11,660 --> 00:24:12,580
Like Paul did.

652
00:24:12,740 --> 00:24:13,480
Like Peter did.

653
00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:14,820
Like all of Scripture does.

654
00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:16,080
This is nothing new.

655
00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:17,760
We've just gotten away from it over the

656
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:18,600
last hundred years.

657
00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,260
Acts 17.30 says, God commands all men

658
00:24:24,260 --> 00:24:25,480
everywhere to repent.

659
00:24:25,780 --> 00:24:26,020
Why?

660
00:24:26,020 --> 00:24:28,860
Because he has appointed a day in which

661
00:24:28,860 --> 00:24:31,000
he will judge the world in righteousness.

662
00:24:32,020 --> 00:24:34,440
You see, it isn't an issue of happiness,

663
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:36,880
but an issue of righteousness.

664
00:24:37,140 --> 00:24:39,060
It doesn't matter how happy a sinner is,

665
00:24:40,700 --> 00:24:42,980
how much he's enjoying the pleasures of his

666
00:24:42,980 --> 00:24:47,520
sin, without the righteousness of Christ, he's going

667
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:48,860
to perish on the day of judgment.

668
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,080
The Bible says, riches are worthless on the

669
00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:57,280
day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

670
00:24:58,900 --> 00:25:00,480
You see, that's how I knew I needed

671
00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:00,940
a Savior.

672
00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:03,560
Kirk Cameron had riches.

673
00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:05,160
I had happiness.

674
00:25:05,260 --> 00:25:06,240
I had everything going for me.

675
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:09,240
But I knew that none of those things

676
00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:10,740
would do me any good when I stood

677
00:25:10,740 --> 00:25:11,980
before God on the day of judgment.

678
00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:14,120
That wouldn't impress God.

679
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,140
He saw my sin.

680
00:25:18,460 --> 00:25:19,780
In spite of the fact of how he's

681
00:25:19,780 --> 00:25:21,460
blessed me, I sinned and offended him.

682
00:25:21,820 --> 00:25:23,420
It was the righteousness of Christ that I

683
00:25:23,420 --> 00:25:25,080
needed in order to be saved.

684
00:25:27,730 --> 00:25:29,250
Now, this is important.

685
00:25:29,750 --> 00:25:30,270
Please listen.

686
00:25:31,170 --> 00:25:35,190
Peace and joy are legitimate fruits of salvation.

687
00:25:35,730 --> 00:25:37,350
They are the results of salvation.

688
00:25:38,030 --> 00:25:40,650
But it's not legitimate to use these fruits

689
00:25:40,650 --> 00:25:42,910
as draw cards for salvation.

690
00:25:45,260 --> 00:25:45,660
Why?

691
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,920
Because if a person comes to God to

692
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:55,420
find peace and joy and happiness without a

693
00:25:55,420 --> 00:25:58,580
truly repentant heart, broken over their sin, grieved

694
00:25:58,580 --> 00:26:00,380
in their heart that they have offended their

695
00:26:00,380 --> 00:26:05,170
Creator, and come through the door of repentance,

696
00:26:05,870 --> 00:26:08,330
they will not find peace with God.

697
00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:12,580
They will not know the joy of the

698
00:26:12,580 --> 00:26:12,740
Lord.

699
00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:15,400
They will remain separated from God by their

700
00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:15,760
sin.

701
00:26:16,140 --> 00:26:18,760
By nature, children of wrath, the wrath of

702
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,560
God will still abide on them.

703
00:26:22,420 --> 00:26:23,440
Enemies of God.

704
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:29,240
Separated from God, from Christ, without hope.

705
00:26:30,420 --> 00:26:31,980
Now, think of the second passenger.

706
00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:33,740
He had joy and peace in his heart.

707
00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:34,840
Why?

708
00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:37,600
It was because he knew that the parachute

709
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,820
was going to save him from sure death.

710
00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:42,220
That's why he had peace and joy.

711
00:26:43,740 --> 00:26:46,720
And as a believer, I have, like Paul

712
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,400
said, joy and peace in believing.

713
00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,120
Because I know that the righteousness of Christ

714
00:26:52,120 --> 00:26:55,200
is going to save me from the wrath

715
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:55,700
to come.

716
00:26:57,740 --> 00:26:59,200
Now, with that thought in mind, let's take

717
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,280
another look at an incident on board the

718
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:01,480
plane.

719
00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:02,720
We have a brand new stewardess.

720
00:27:03,420 --> 00:27:04,800
It's her first day on the job, and

721
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:06,560
she's carrying a pot of boiling hot coffee.

722
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,380
She really wants to make an impression on

723
00:27:08,380 --> 00:27:08,920
the passengers.

724
00:27:09,620 --> 00:27:11,360
And that's exactly what she does, because as

725
00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:13,680
she's walking down the aisle, she accidentally trips

726
00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,720
over somebody's foot and slops this boiling hot

727
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,380
coffee into the lap of our second passenger.

728
00:27:20,740 --> 00:27:22,880
Now, what's his reaction as this boiling hot

729
00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:24,140
liquid hits his tender flesh?

730
00:27:24,860 --> 00:27:27,260
Does he go, Man, that hurt!

731
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,180
Yes, of course, he feels the pain.

732
00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:33,060
But then, does he stand up, unstrap the

733
00:27:33,060 --> 00:27:34,400
parachute, throw it on the floor, and say,

734
00:27:34,460 --> 00:27:35,600
This stupid parachute!

735
00:27:41,700 --> 00:27:43,240
No, of course not.

736
00:27:43,540 --> 00:27:44,200
Why should he?

737
00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,220
He didn't put the parachute on for a

738
00:27:46,220 --> 00:27:46,680
better flight.

739
00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:48,240
He put it on to save his life.

740
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:50,820
And if anything, the hot coffee would cause

741
00:27:50,820 --> 00:27:52,400
him to cling tighter to the parachute and

742
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:53,700
even look forward to the jump.

743
00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:03,660
And if you and I have come to

744
00:28:03,660 --> 00:28:06,900
the Lord and put on the Savior for

745
00:28:06,900 --> 00:28:09,260
the right motive, to escape from the wrath

746
00:28:09,260 --> 00:28:12,320
that's to come, then when tribulation strikes, when

747
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,220
the flight gets bumpy, we're not going to

748
00:28:14,220 --> 00:28:15,300
get angry at God.

749
00:28:15,780 --> 00:28:17,120
We're not going to lose our joy and

750
00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:17,420
peace.

751
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:18,120
Why should we?

752
00:28:18,380 --> 00:28:20,500
We didn't come to Jesus for a happy,

753
00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:22,020
more fulfilled lifestyle.

754
00:28:22,820 --> 00:28:24,860
We came because we know we violated His

755
00:28:24,860 --> 00:28:26,700
law, and we've run to the love of

756
00:28:26,700 --> 00:28:29,860
Jesus Christ on the cross to escape from

757
00:28:29,860 --> 00:28:31,020
the wrath that's to come.

758
00:28:32,300 --> 00:28:37,060
And sadly, we have literally millions of professing

759
00:28:37,060 --> 00:28:40,040
Christians who lose their joy and peace when

760
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:40,960
the flight gets bumpy.

761
00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:44,040
That shouldn't happen.

762
00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,540
If anything, tribulation drives the true believer closer

763
00:28:47,540 --> 00:28:48,180
to the Savior.

764
00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:50,980
It doesn't make them fall away.

765
00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:54,420
Why is this happening?

766
00:28:54,740 --> 00:28:55,720
Why do they fall away?

767
00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:57,260
Why do they lose their joy and peace?

768
00:28:58,020 --> 00:29:00,140
Because they're the product of a man-centered

769
00:29:00,140 --> 00:29:00,600
gospel.

770
00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,100
They came forward lacking repentance.

771
00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:08,980
And without repentance, you cannot be saved.

772
00:29:11,690 --> 00:29:14,670
For years, I struggled with something called evangelical

773
00:29:14,670 --> 00:29:15,110
frustration.

774
00:29:15,530 --> 00:29:17,230
I so wanted people to come to Christ.

775
00:29:17,330 --> 00:29:18,810
I wanted them to get it and understand

776
00:29:18,810 --> 00:29:20,790
and surrender their life to Jesus that I

777
00:29:20,790 --> 00:29:23,250
unknowingly gave them this man-centered gospel with

778
00:29:23,250 --> 00:29:25,810
lots of enthusiasm, trying to really sell it.

779
00:29:26,810 --> 00:29:28,390
And I'd say something like this, Man, you're

780
00:29:28,390 --> 00:29:29,550
never going to find peace without Jesus.

781
00:29:29,770 --> 00:29:30,510
You're never going to find it.

782
00:29:30,570 --> 00:29:31,230
I've tried everything.

783
00:29:31,330 --> 00:29:33,330
Money, celebrity, everything.

784
00:29:33,970 --> 00:29:35,670
Nothing's going to fill that hole like Jesus.

785
00:29:37,980 --> 00:29:40,220
And if a person would respond and say,

786
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:40,800
Hey man, alright.

787
00:29:41,100 --> 00:29:41,560
Yeah, alright.

788
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:43,440
I'll pray a prayer.

789
00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:45,000
Cool, let's try it.

790
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:47,920
And I'd pray with them.

791
00:29:48,780 --> 00:29:49,900
And I'd tell them, Man, when you say

792
00:29:49,900 --> 00:29:50,840
this, you've got to mean it with all

793
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:51,100
your heart.

794
00:29:51,180 --> 00:29:51,920
You've got to be sincere.

795
00:29:52,780 --> 00:29:53,540
It's not the words.

796
00:29:53,580 --> 00:29:54,800
It's the sincerity of your heart.

797
00:29:55,460 --> 00:29:57,240
And if we'd pray together, God, forgive me.

798
00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:57,660
I'm a sinner.

799
00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,820
He'd be like, God, forgive me.

800
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:03,320
I'm a sinner.

801
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:06,480
And I'm thinking to myself, Man, this guy

802
00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:07,500
doesn't seem sincere.

803
00:30:07,620 --> 00:30:09,520
He doesn't seem broken over his sin.

804
00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:11,860
There's no outward sign that the guy is

805
00:30:11,860 --> 00:30:14,540
really broken hearted before the Lord.

806
00:30:16,180 --> 00:30:18,360
But if I could see inside of his

807
00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:19,880
heart, I would see that he was 100

808
00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:20,800
% sincere.

809
00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,400
He sincerely wanted to give this Jesus thing

810
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:24,800
a try to see if he could get

811
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:25,620
a buzz out of it.

812
00:30:26,260 --> 00:30:28,080
He had tried sex, drugs, money, alcohol.

813
00:30:29,580 --> 00:30:31,040
Why not try this Jesus thing and see

814
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:32,280
if it's as great as all these Christians

815
00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:33,040
say that it is.

816
00:30:34,660 --> 00:30:36,240
He wasn't broken over his sin.

817
00:30:36,420 --> 00:30:38,120
He wasn't fleeing from the wrath to come.

818
00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:39,580
I hadn't told him there was wrath to

819
00:30:39,580 --> 00:30:39,800
come.

820
00:30:40,340 --> 00:30:42,060
He wasn't repenting over his sin.

821
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:44,480
He didn't even know what his sin was.

822
00:30:46,860 --> 00:30:47,800
I glossed over that.

823
00:30:50,590 --> 00:30:52,130
Remember Romans 7 verse 7?

824
00:30:52,890 --> 00:30:55,350
I would not have known sin except through

825
00:30:55,350 --> 00:30:55,750
the law.

826
00:30:55,850 --> 00:30:56,850
How can a guy repent if he doesn't

827
00:30:56,850 --> 00:30:57,770
even know what sin is?

828
00:31:00,740 --> 00:31:02,740
You see, in our culture today, people don't

829
00:31:02,740 --> 00:31:05,500
want to believe something is true unless they

830
00:31:05,500 --> 00:31:06,720
experience it for themselves.

831
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:08,220
They don't want to take my word for

832
00:31:08,220 --> 00:31:08,340
it.

833
00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:09,680
They don't want to take your word for

834
00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:10,640
it or your pastor's word for it.

835
00:31:10,780 --> 00:31:11,760
They don't even want to take the Holy

836
00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:12,580
Bible's word for it.

837
00:31:13,100 --> 00:31:14,840
They want to experience it for themselves.

838
00:31:15,060 --> 00:31:16,400
Then it becomes true for them.

839
00:31:19,970 --> 00:31:20,690
Think of it this way.

840
00:31:21,470 --> 00:31:23,750
If you saw a man out on a

841
00:31:23,750 --> 00:31:25,950
lake who's drowning.

842
00:31:26,170 --> 00:31:27,830
But he doesn't think he's drowning.

843
00:31:30,050 --> 00:31:31,290
And you think to yourself, man, I think

844
00:31:31,290 --> 00:31:31,610
that guy's drowning.

845
00:31:31,690 --> 00:31:32,870
Yes, he's in trouble.

846
00:31:32,910 --> 00:31:33,310
He's drowning.

847
00:31:33,710 --> 00:31:34,370
I'm going to go save him.

848
00:31:34,550 --> 00:31:35,450
You run out into the lake.

849
00:31:35,870 --> 00:31:37,230
You grab the guy by the neck.

850
00:31:37,330 --> 00:31:38,530
You swim up to the shore and you

851
00:31:38,530 --> 00:31:39,870
throw him up on the sand without telling

852
00:31:39,870 --> 00:31:40,250
him anything.

853
00:31:40,930 --> 00:31:42,170
He's not going to be very happy with

854
00:31:42,170 --> 00:31:42,330
you.

855
00:31:43,690 --> 00:31:45,090
He's not going to want to get saved

856
00:31:45,090 --> 00:31:46,690
until he sees that he's in danger.

857
00:31:49,330 --> 00:31:50,030
Or think of it this way.

858
00:31:50,230 --> 00:31:51,050
If you came up to me and said,

859
00:31:51,070 --> 00:31:51,390
hey, Kirk.

860
00:31:51,510 --> 00:31:51,870
I'd say, yeah?

861
00:31:53,710 --> 00:31:56,650
Hey, man, this is a cure for Groninson's

862
00:31:56,650 --> 00:31:56,890
disease.

863
00:31:57,550 --> 00:31:58,770
I sold my house to raise the money

864
00:31:58,770 --> 00:32:00,370
to buy this cure for you and I'm

865
00:32:00,370 --> 00:32:01,390
giving it to you as a free gift.

866
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,600
I'd probably look at you and say, what?

867
00:32:06,340 --> 00:32:06,940
Groninson's disease?

868
00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:10,340
You sold your house to raise the money

869
00:32:10,340 --> 00:32:12,140
to buy this stuff for me and you're

870
00:32:12,140 --> 00:32:13,120
giving it to me as a free gift?

871
00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:15,060
Oh, gee.

872
00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:16,600
Thanks a lot.

873
00:32:17,660 --> 00:32:18,020
Bye.

874
00:32:19,220 --> 00:32:20,020
Oh, man.

875
00:32:20,620 --> 00:32:22,140
That's another one of those nuts.

876
00:32:23,140 --> 00:32:24,420
That guy's so strange.

877
00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:26,200
I mean, that's probably how I'd react if

878
00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:27,540
you told me you sold your house to

879
00:32:27,540 --> 00:32:28,720
raise the money to buy a cure for

880
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:29,880
a disease I hadn't even heard of.

881
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:33,060
But if you said it to me this

882
00:32:33,060 --> 00:32:34,120
way, it might make more sense.

883
00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:35,120
Hey, Kirk.

884
00:32:36,900 --> 00:32:38,380
You've got Groninson's disease.

885
00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:43,220
You're going to be dead in two weeks.

886
00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,100
I can see ten clear symptoms on your

887
00:32:46,100 --> 00:32:46,480
flesh.

888
00:32:47,460 --> 00:32:51,040
And then we talked about it and I

889
00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,100
became convinced that I had the disease because

890
00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:55,720
the symptoms were so evident.

891
00:32:59,290 --> 00:33:00,630
And then I said, oh, man.

892
00:33:00,910 --> 00:33:01,970
I see what you're saying.

893
00:33:03,410 --> 00:33:04,170
What do I do?

894
00:33:05,230 --> 00:33:06,970
And then you said to me, don't worry.

895
00:33:07,690 --> 00:33:09,410
This is a cure for Groninson's disease.

896
00:33:09,950 --> 00:33:11,710
I sold my house to raise the money

897
00:33:11,710 --> 00:33:13,090
to buy this cure for you and I'm

898
00:33:13,090 --> 00:33:14,210
giving it to you as a free gift.

899
00:33:16,630 --> 00:33:18,530
I'm not going to despise your sacrifice.

900
00:33:18,730 --> 00:33:19,970
I'm not going to think you're strange.

901
00:33:21,230 --> 00:33:22,730
I'm going to appreciate it.

902
00:33:23,410 --> 00:33:26,090
I'm going to thank you and I'm going

903
00:33:26,090 --> 00:33:27,230
to appropriate it.

904
00:33:27,350 --> 00:33:27,870
Why?

905
00:33:28,110 --> 00:33:30,890
Because I've seen the disease so that I

906
00:33:30,890 --> 00:33:32,090
appreciate the cure.

907
00:33:35,300 --> 00:33:37,080
And sadly, what's happened is that we have

908
00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:40,320
preached the cure without first convincing people of

909
00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:40,740
the disease.

910
00:33:41,140 --> 00:33:44,100
We've preached the gospel of grace without first

911
00:33:44,100 --> 00:33:47,740
convincing people of the law, that they're transgressors.

912
00:33:48,420 --> 00:33:50,520
And as a result, we have literally millions

913
00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:52,340
of people in our country who think they

914
00:33:52,340 --> 00:33:56,900
have a relationship with Jesus because they invited

915
00:33:56,900 --> 00:34:01,520
Jesus into their heart, they accepted Jesus, but

916
00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:03,300
they did not come through the narrow gate

917
00:34:03,300 --> 00:34:07,679
of repentance, stripped of the false notion that

918
00:34:07,679 --> 00:34:10,560
they're a good person, surrendered to the Lord

919
00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:11,320
of the universe.

920
00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:12,600
Why?

921
00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:15,199
Because they've never been convinced of a disease

922
00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:17,699
that they truly appreciate the cure.

923
00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:21,420
1 Timothy 1, verse 8.

924
00:34:22,860 --> 00:34:23,880
You don't need to turn there, I'll just

925
00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:24,440
tell you what it says.

926
00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:25,780
It says, But we know that the law

927
00:34:25,780 --> 00:34:28,040
is good if it is used lawfully for

928
00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:29,860
the purpose for which it was designed.

929
00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,620
If we use it wrongly, it's bad.

930
00:34:34,900 --> 00:34:37,880
People use the law and create legalism, stuff

931
00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:38,400
that's not good.

932
00:34:38,460 --> 00:34:40,120
But when it's used lawfully for the purpose

933
00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:41,760
for which it was designed, the Bible says

934
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:42,179
it is good.

935
00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:44,100
Okay, what was the law designed for?

936
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:45,179
The following verse tells us.

937
00:34:45,460 --> 00:34:46,920
The law was not made for a righteous

938
00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:48,580
man, but for sinners.

939
00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:50,139
It even lists the sinners.

940
00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:54,780
The ungodly, the unholy, adulterers, perverts, murderers, liars.

941
00:34:56,020 --> 00:34:57,060
You see, if you want to bring an

942
00:34:57,060 --> 00:34:59,940
atheist to Christ, you don't need to get

943
00:34:59,940 --> 00:35:04,600
tied up in intellectual arguments with the guy.

944
00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,080
Just give him the Ten Commandments, God's law,

945
00:35:09,220 --> 00:35:10,820
and let his own conscience work on him.

946
00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,440
The law was made for the ungodly.

947
00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:15,020
If you want to bring a Jew to

948
00:35:15,020 --> 00:35:17,320
Christ, give him the Law of Moses.

949
00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:20,520
Give him the Law of Moses.

950
00:35:20,740 --> 00:35:22,100
Let it prepare his heart for grace.

951
00:35:22,260 --> 00:35:23,580
If you want to bring a Muslim to

952
00:35:23,580 --> 00:35:25,220
Christ, same thing.

953
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,260
Give him the Law of Moses.

954
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:28,940
They respect Moses as a prophet.

955
00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:32,240
Give him the Law of Moses, and let

956
00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:34,220
it strip him of his own self-righteousness,

957
00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:35,900
and bring him to the foot of a

958
00:35:35,900 --> 00:35:36,820
blood-stained cross.

959
00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:39,220
If you want to bring your children to

960
00:35:39,220 --> 00:35:41,220
Christ, we don't need to get them to

961
00:35:41,220 --> 00:35:43,740
join the God Club and convince them it's

962
00:35:43,740 --> 00:35:44,780
cooler than MTV.

963
00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:47,840
No!

964
00:35:49,260 --> 00:35:51,480
Show them the Ten Commandments so that they

965
00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,420
can see their personal sins against the Lord.

966
00:35:54,980 --> 00:35:57,600
And they'll understand why Jesus died on the

967
00:35:57,600 --> 00:35:58,260
cross for them.

968
00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:01,380
And they'll know why they should cling to

969
00:36:01,380 --> 00:36:02,800
him forever and never let go.

970
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,500
Think of the woman caught in the act

971
00:36:06,500 --> 00:36:06,940
of adultery.

972
00:36:08,380 --> 00:36:09,620
She had committed adultery.

973
00:36:10,260 --> 00:36:11,600
Violation of the Seventh Commandment.

974
00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:12,840
The law called for her blood.

975
00:36:13,240 --> 00:36:14,740
She was stuck between a rock and a

976
00:36:14,740 --> 00:36:18,160
hard place with nowhere to turn but to

977
00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:19,360
fall at the feet of the Son of

978
00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:20,060
God for mercy.

979
00:36:22,240 --> 00:36:23,600
You see, that's what the law does.

980
00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:24,580
It condemns.

981
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,560
And maybe you're saying, no, no, no.

982
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:32,560
You can't go around condemning sinners.

983
00:36:33,420 --> 00:36:36,740
But the truth is, they are condemned already.

984
00:36:37,860 --> 00:36:38,960
John 3, verse 18.

985
00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,840
He that does not believe is condemned already.

986
00:36:44,260 --> 00:36:46,500
All the law does is show him himself

987
00:36:46,500 --> 00:36:47,840
in his true state.

988
00:36:49,100 --> 00:36:51,520
Ladies, you might recognize this.

989
00:36:55,130 --> 00:36:57,230
You wake up in the morning and you

990
00:36:57,230 --> 00:36:59,270
notice that your dining room table needs dusting.

991
00:37:01,180 --> 00:37:02,140
So you dust it clean.

992
00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:03,100
All the dust is gone.

993
00:37:04,180 --> 00:37:06,780
And then you draw back the curtains and

994
00:37:06,780 --> 00:37:07,940
let in the early morning sunlight.

995
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:08,980
What do you see on the table?

996
00:37:09,940 --> 00:37:10,380
Dust.

997
00:37:10,540 --> 00:37:11,320
What do you see in the air?

998
00:37:11,860 --> 00:37:12,300
Dust.

999
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:13,940
Did the light create the dust?

1000
00:37:14,580 --> 00:37:15,020
No.

1001
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:17,000
It merely exposed the dust.

1002
00:37:17,740 --> 00:37:19,080
And when you and I take the time

1003
00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,540
to draw back the curtains of the Holy

1004
00:37:21,540 --> 00:37:23,780
Scriptures and let the light of God's law

1005
00:37:23,780 --> 00:37:26,300
shine on the sinner's heart, all that happens

1006
00:37:26,900 --> 00:37:29,400
is that he sees himself for what he

1007
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:29,840
is.

1008
00:37:31,890 --> 00:37:33,590
The Bible says the commandment is a lamp

1009
00:37:33,590 --> 00:37:34,890
and the law is light.

1010
00:37:35,190 --> 00:37:37,510
That's why Paul said by the law is

1011
00:37:37,510 --> 00:37:38,630
the knowledge of sin.

1012
00:37:39,190 --> 00:37:41,710
That's why he said by the commandment sin

1013
00:37:41,710 --> 00:37:43,790
became exceedingly sinful.

1014
00:37:45,330 --> 00:37:47,330
In other words, the law showed him his

1015
00:37:47,330 --> 00:37:48,650
sin in its true light.

1016
00:37:50,050 --> 00:37:52,990
Now I'd like to share with you how

1017
00:37:52,990 --> 00:37:55,130
I actually witness to people personally.

1018
00:37:55,930 --> 00:37:56,830
How to do it.

1019
00:37:57,430 --> 00:37:59,470
I'm a strong believer in biblical evangelism and

1020
00:37:59,470 --> 00:38:00,890
following in the footsteps of Jesus.

1021
00:38:01,230 --> 00:38:03,410
And the beautiful example in Scripture, one of

1022
00:38:03,410 --> 00:38:05,270
many, is in John chapter 4 with the

1023
00:38:05,270 --> 00:38:05,830
woman at the well.

1024
00:38:07,230 --> 00:38:08,590
You see Jesus in action.

1025
00:38:09,650 --> 00:38:11,050
I call it the way of the Master.

1026
00:38:12,570 --> 00:38:15,670
He starts in the natural realm, talking about

1027
00:38:15,670 --> 00:38:18,230
natural things, swings to the spiritual, talking about

1028
00:38:18,230 --> 00:38:20,670
spiritual things, brings conviction using the seventh commandment,

1029
00:38:20,670 --> 00:38:22,790
and then he reveals himself as the Messiah.

1030
00:38:23,730 --> 00:38:25,550
So I'll try to follow that pattern in

1031
00:38:25,550 --> 00:38:27,410
the same way by doing something like this.

1032
00:38:28,170 --> 00:38:30,030
Sometimes I can start a conversation with somebody

1033
00:38:30,030 --> 00:38:31,710
with a gospel tract.

1034
00:38:32,250 --> 00:38:34,790
I'm not into offensive and obnoxious tracts, but

1035
00:38:34,790 --> 00:38:38,230
there's really good ones that we produce through

1036
00:38:38,230 --> 00:38:38,770
ministry.

1037
00:38:39,450 --> 00:38:39,850
Here's one.

1038
00:38:40,070 --> 00:38:41,190
It's a million dollar bill.

1039
00:38:41,290 --> 00:38:42,330
It's a great way to start a conversation

1040
00:38:42,330 --> 00:38:43,290
with a waitress when you give her a

1041
00:38:43,290 --> 00:38:43,450
tip.

1042
00:38:43,850 --> 00:38:45,770
This is a Left Behind 2 tract.

1043
00:38:46,710 --> 00:38:48,110
A lot of people know about the books

1044
00:38:48,510 --> 00:38:50,810
and there's a wonderful gospel presentation inside.

1045
00:38:51,110 --> 00:38:54,770
Here's a greeting card with Charles Darwin on

1046
00:38:54,770 --> 00:38:56,310
the front and it says, Did the butterfly

1047
00:38:56,310 --> 00:38:56,830
evolve?

1048
00:38:57,410 --> 00:38:58,330
You give it to somebody and say, Hey,

1049
00:38:58,330 --> 00:38:58,710
check it out.

1050
00:38:58,810 --> 00:38:59,230
Open it up.

1051
00:38:59,350 --> 00:39:03,290
They open it up and inside it says,

1052
00:39:03,330 --> 00:39:04,030
You've got to be kidding!

1053
00:39:04,910 --> 00:39:06,870
And there's a gospel message on the wings

1054
00:39:06,870 --> 00:39:10,230
and quotes from Einstein and Charles Darwin in

1055
00:39:10,230 --> 00:39:10,410
here.

1056
00:39:10,650 --> 00:39:11,890
Great way to start a conversation.

1057
00:39:12,910 --> 00:39:14,230
But if I don't have these, I'll just

1058
00:39:14,230 --> 00:39:15,550
simply say, Hey, can I ask you a

1059
00:39:15,550 --> 00:39:15,790
question?

1060
00:39:15,950 --> 00:39:16,570
Do you go to church?

1061
00:39:17,330 --> 00:39:18,170
Do you have a Christian background?

1062
00:39:18,490 --> 00:39:20,370
They'll say, Yes, no, whatever.

1063
00:39:20,870 --> 00:39:22,590
And I'll say, Hey, can I ask you

1064
00:39:22,590 --> 00:39:23,130
a personal question?

1065
00:39:23,410 --> 00:39:24,630
Do you consider yourself to be a good

1066
00:39:24,630 --> 00:39:24,990
person?

1067
00:39:25,510 --> 00:39:27,090
Now what I'm doing is, I'm going back

1068
00:39:27,090 --> 00:39:29,030
to the issue Jesus made the issue with

1069
00:39:29,030 --> 00:39:29,450
that man.

1070
00:39:29,530 --> 00:39:30,270
Why did he call me good?

1071
00:39:30,630 --> 00:39:33,190
The issue is people's understanding of what good

1072
00:39:33,190 --> 00:39:33,410
is.

1073
00:39:33,670 --> 00:39:34,790
Do you consider yourself a good person?

1074
00:39:35,170 --> 00:39:37,110
Most people will say, Yeah, absolutely.

1075
00:39:37,630 --> 00:39:39,850
And then I'll say, Do you think you've

1076
00:39:39,850 --> 00:39:40,870
kept the Ten Commandments?

1077
00:39:42,350 --> 00:39:43,550
I just did that with a guy not

1078
00:39:43,550 --> 00:39:44,130
too long ago.

1079
00:39:44,330 --> 00:39:45,270
We were on the golf course.

1080
00:39:46,530 --> 00:39:48,550
A few other guys and this guy's name

1081
00:39:48,550 --> 00:39:49,770
was Ray not Ray Comfort, a different Ray.

1082
00:39:50,050 --> 00:39:51,750
And we were golfing and I said to

1083
00:39:51,750 --> 00:39:52,550
him, Hey, do you consider yourself a good

1084
00:39:52,550 --> 00:39:52,810
person?

1085
00:39:52,910 --> 00:39:53,130
Yeah.

1086
00:39:53,410 --> 00:39:54,130
He said, Do you think you've kept the

1087
00:39:54,130 --> 00:39:54,650
Ten Commandments?

1088
00:39:55,310 --> 00:39:56,130
A friendly conversation.

1089
00:39:56,230 --> 00:39:57,330
He says, Yeah, pretty much.

1090
00:39:57,370 --> 00:39:58,290
I mean, I've never murdered anybody.

1091
00:39:59,090 --> 00:40:03,430
And I said, Well, let's go through a

1092
00:40:03,430 --> 00:40:04,230
few of them and see.

1093
00:40:05,210 --> 00:40:05,590
Do you mind?

1094
00:40:05,750 --> 00:40:06,490
He's like, Yeah, sure.

1095
00:40:06,730 --> 00:40:07,130
Why not?

1096
00:40:07,570 --> 00:40:08,010
I said, Okay.

1097
00:40:08,690 --> 00:40:09,590
Have you ever told a lie?

1098
00:40:10,290 --> 00:40:10,910
He says, Yeah.

1099
00:40:11,610 --> 00:40:12,850
I said, What does that make you?

1100
00:40:12,850 --> 00:40:15,310
He says, Human.

1101
00:40:17,030 --> 00:40:18,550
I said, Yeah, I know you're human, but

1102
00:40:18,550 --> 00:40:18,850
come on.

1103
00:40:19,150 --> 00:40:21,270
If someone murders someone, that makes them a

1104
00:40:21,270 --> 00:40:21,570
murderer.

1105
00:40:21,910 --> 00:40:22,010
Right?

1106
00:40:22,010 --> 00:40:23,290
If you rape somebody, that would make you

1107
00:40:23,290 --> 00:40:23,710
a rapist.

1108
00:40:23,830 --> 00:40:24,910
So if you lie, what does that make

1109
00:40:24,910 --> 00:40:25,010
you?

1110
00:40:25,030 --> 00:40:26,610
He says, A liar.

1111
00:40:27,470 --> 00:40:28,890
I said, Alright, have you ever stolen anything?

1112
00:40:29,050 --> 00:40:29,790
He says, No.

1113
00:40:30,950 --> 00:40:32,010
I said, Come on, I don't believe you.

1114
00:40:32,030 --> 00:40:33,190
You just admitted to me you're a liar.

1115
00:40:37,860 --> 00:40:40,640
He laughs and he says, Okay, when I

1116
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:41,700
was younger, yes, I have.

1117
00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:42,900
Yes, I've stolen something.

1118
00:40:42,900 --> 00:40:43,980
I said, Okay, what does that make you?

1119
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,820
He says, A stealer or a thief.

1120
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:49,520
I said, Here's the one that got me.

1121
00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:51,220
Jesus said, You know that it's been said,

1122
00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,320
Do not commit adultery, but whoever looks upon

1123
00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:55,020
a woman to lust after her has already

1124
00:40:55,020 --> 00:40:56,500
committed adultery with her in his heart.

1125
00:40:57,260 --> 00:40:58,000
Have you ever done that?

1126
00:40:58,040 --> 00:40:59,160
Have you ever looked at another person with

1127
00:40:59,160 --> 00:40:59,380
lust?

1128
00:40:59,700 --> 00:41:00,960
He says, Yeah, plenty of times.

1129
00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:03,540
I said, Well then, Ray, by your own

1130
00:41:03,540 --> 00:41:06,820
admission, you're a lying, thieving adulterer at heart.

1131
00:41:07,660 --> 00:41:09,200
And you have to face God on Judgment

1132
00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:09,420
Day.

1133
00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:11,840
And that's only three of the ten commandments.

1134
00:41:15,060 --> 00:41:17,100
I mean, he had this look of being

1135
00:41:17,100 --> 00:41:17,500
guilty.

1136
00:41:18,580 --> 00:41:19,580
Because he was guilty.

1137
00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:22,860
And if you think about it, the commandments

1138
00:41:22,860 --> 00:41:23,700
leave us guilty.

1139
00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:25,940
Whether you've been going to church your whole

1140
00:41:25,940 --> 00:41:27,580
life or whether you haven't.

1141
00:41:28,140 --> 00:41:30,160
Ask yourself these questions and be honest.

1142
00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:32,560
Think to yourself and be honest.

1143
00:41:32,660 --> 00:41:33,360
Listen to your conscience.

1144
00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:35,640
Have you kept the commandments?

1145
00:41:36,020 --> 00:41:36,960
Think of the first commandment.

1146
00:41:39,390 --> 00:41:40,890
You shall have no other gods before me.

1147
00:41:42,150 --> 00:41:43,450
Have you always put God first in your

1148
00:41:43,450 --> 00:41:43,650
life?

1149
00:41:43,870 --> 00:41:45,090
Jesus said, To love the Lord your God

1150
00:41:45,090 --> 00:41:46,550
with all your heart, mind, soul and strength

1151
00:41:46,550 --> 00:41:48,250
so much that your love for your mother

1152
00:41:48,250 --> 00:41:50,530
and father, brother and sister, your family, your

1153
00:41:50,530 --> 00:41:52,230
friends, even your own life is like hatred

1154
00:41:52,670 --> 00:41:54,490
compared to your love and devotion for God.

1155
00:41:55,050 --> 00:41:56,310
Have you always loved God that much?

1156
00:41:57,910 --> 00:41:58,230
No.

1157
00:41:58,290 --> 00:41:59,330
The Bible says none of us have kept

1158
00:41:59,330 --> 00:41:59,890
that commandment.

1159
00:42:00,410 --> 00:42:01,270
How about the second one?

1160
00:42:01,650 --> 00:42:04,130
You shall not create for yourself a graven

1161
00:42:04,130 --> 00:42:04,810
image or an idol.

1162
00:42:05,190 --> 00:42:06,110
Now, you can either do that with your

1163
00:42:06,110 --> 00:42:08,530
hands or you can do it with your

1164
00:42:08,530 --> 00:42:08,850
mind.

1165
00:42:08,970 --> 00:42:10,130
Have you ever thought in your mind something

1166
00:42:10,130 --> 00:42:10,550
like this?

1167
00:42:10,770 --> 00:42:13,350
Man, my God is a God of love

1168
00:42:13,350 --> 00:42:13,750
and mercy.

1169
00:42:13,830 --> 00:42:14,810
He's not a God of judgment.

1170
00:42:14,930 --> 00:42:16,570
He would never create a place called hell.

1171
00:42:18,780 --> 00:42:21,440
If you have thought that, you're right.

1172
00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:23,760
Your God would never create a place called

1173
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:24,560
hell because he couldn't.

1174
00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:25,660
He doesn't exist.

1175
00:42:26,260 --> 00:42:27,760
He's a figment of your imagination.

1176
00:42:28,340 --> 00:42:30,300
You've created a God in your own mind

1177
00:42:30,300 --> 00:42:32,140
that you are more comfortable with.

1178
00:42:34,490 --> 00:42:36,870
You've created a God to suit yourself.

1179
00:42:38,530 --> 00:42:40,730
You may call it your own beliefs, but

1180
00:42:40,730 --> 00:42:42,270
the Bible calls that idolatry.

1181
00:42:42,690 --> 00:42:44,170
It's the oldest sin in the book.

1182
00:42:45,630 --> 00:42:47,670
And idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of

1183
00:42:47,670 --> 00:42:47,890
heaven.

1184
00:42:48,810 --> 00:42:50,330
Have you ever taken the name of the

1185
00:42:50,330 --> 00:42:50,750
Lord in vain?

1186
00:42:51,010 --> 00:42:52,070
Have you ever used his name as a

1187
00:42:52,070 --> 00:42:52,450
cuss word?

1188
00:42:53,530 --> 00:42:56,290
If you have, instead of using a four

1189
00:42:56,290 --> 00:42:58,670
-letter filth word to express disgust, you have

1190
00:42:58,670 --> 00:43:01,610
taken God's name, the one who's given you

1191
00:43:01,610 --> 00:43:04,450
your life, your family, everything precious to you,

1192
00:43:04,510 --> 00:43:06,650
and you've used it as a four-letter

1193
00:43:06,650 --> 00:43:08,350
filth word to express disgust.

1194
00:43:09,070 --> 00:43:10,230
It's called blasphemy.

1195
00:43:10,770 --> 00:43:12,470
And every idle word a man speaks, he'll

1196
00:43:12,470 --> 00:43:13,370
give an account of it on the Day

1197
00:43:13,370 --> 00:43:13,810
of Judgment.

1198
00:43:14,490 --> 00:43:16,190
God will not hold him guiltless who takes

1199
00:43:16,190 --> 00:43:17,150
the name of the Lord in vain.

1200
00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:21,580
The one that jumps out at me so

1201
00:43:21,580 --> 00:43:23,880
vividly is the Fifth Commandment.

1202
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:24,800
Honor your father and mother.

1203
00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:27,340
I broke that every day as a teenager.

1204
00:43:29,240 --> 00:43:29,980
How about you?

1205
00:43:30,260 --> 00:43:31,240
How about the Sixth Commandment?

1206
00:43:31,260 --> 00:43:31,940
You shall not murder.

1207
00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:33,340
Most of us think we're safe with that

1208
00:43:33,340 --> 00:43:35,000
one, but Jesus said whoever is angry with

1209
00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:36,680
his brother without cause is in danger of

1210
00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:37,020
judgment.

1211
00:43:37,380 --> 00:43:39,160
And the Bible says he who hates his

1212
00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:42,520
brother is a murderer because God sees our

1213
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:42,880
hearts.

1214
00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:46,140
He judges the intentions and desires of our

1215
00:43:46,140 --> 00:43:46,460
heart.

1216
00:43:46,980 --> 00:43:48,480
And hatred is as wicked as murder in

1217
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:49,540
the eyes of a holy God.

1218
00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:51,680
Imagine if I could put a high-tech

1219
00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:53,000
computer chip behind your ear.

1220
00:43:53,720 --> 00:43:54,460
Think of this one.

1221
00:43:56,060 --> 00:43:58,560
A chip that monitored your thoughts and recorded

1222
00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:00,340
all of them 24 hours a day, seven

1223
00:44:00,340 --> 00:44:00,800
days a week.

1224
00:44:00,860 --> 00:44:03,320
Everything you think, everything you want and desire.

1225
00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:05,240
When your husband and wife aren't looking, when

1226
00:44:05,240 --> 00:44:07,160
your kids aren't looking, when your parents aren't

1227
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:09,400
watching, everything you say and everything you do

1228
00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:10,340
and everything you desire.

1229
00:44:12,490 --> 00:44:14,470
Everything you look at with your eyes.

1230
00:44:16,030 --> 00:44:17,830
We recorded them for a month and then

1231
00:44:17,830 --> 00:44:19,390
we held a special service at this church

1232
00:44:19,390 --> 00:44:21,030
and we put those things up on that

1233
00:44:21,030 --> 00:44:23,490
big screen and showed it in front of

1234
00:44:23,490 --> 00:44:23,890
everybody.

1235
00:44:23,990 --> 00:44:25,230
Your family, your friends, everybody.

1236
00:44:25,290 --> 00:44:26,350
The pastor, everybody.

1237
00:44:27,070 --> 00:44:28,030
How would you feel?

1238
00:44:29,810 --> 00:44:31,410
And the Bible says that's what will happen

1239
00:44:31,410 --> 00:44:32,750
on the day of judgment when we stand

1240
00:44:32,750 --> 00:44:34,570
before the Lord and he draws out every

1241
00:44:34,570 --> 00:44:36,030
secret sin done in darkness.

1242
00:44:36,870 --> 00:44:38,610
The Bible says nothing is hidden from the

1243
00:44:38,610 --> 00:44:41,270
eyes of God but everything is naked and

1244
00:44:41,270 --> 00:44:42,870
open before the eyes of Him to whom

1245
00:44:42,870 --> 00:44:44,030
we must give account.

1246
00:44:45,290 --> 00:44:48,230
You share your thought life with God and

1247
00:44:48,230 --> 00:44:48,910
He is holy.

1248
00:44:52,020 --> 00:44:52,920
And who of us can say that we're

1249
00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:54,900
not guilty of coveting and being jealous and

1250
00:44:54,900 --> 00:44:56,600
of wanting things that belong to other people?

1251
00:44:57,900 --> 00:44:58,740
We are guilty.

1252
00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:03,380
So I said to my friend Ray, Ray,

1253
00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:05,040
if God judged you by the Ten Commandments

1254
00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:06,020
on the day of judgment, do you think

1255
00:45:06,020 --> 00:45:06,840
you'd be innocent or guilty?

1256
00:45:09,700 --> 00:45:10,300
I'd be guilty.

1257
00:45:11,080 --> 00:45:11,920
I said, so do you think you'd go

1258
00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:12,480
to heaven or hell?

1259
00:45:14,670 --> 00:45:15,430
He said, heaven.

1260
00:45:17,850 --> 00:45:18,790
I said, why?

1261
00:45:18,790 --> 00:45:21,850
He says, because God is good.

1262
00:45:22,270 --> 00:45:22,950
He is forgiving.

1263
00:45:23,870 --> 00:45:24,350
I said, really?

1264
00:45:25,290 --> 00:45:27,130
You believe that God is good and therefore

1265
00:45:27,130 --> 00:45:28,070
He'll overlook your sins?

1266
00:45:28,190 --> 00:45:28,510
Yes.

1267
00:45:29,730 --> 00:45:30,650
He said, try that in a court of

1268
00:45:30,650 --> 00:45:30,830
law.

1269
00:45:30,930 --> 00:45:31,910
You're standing in front of a judge.

1270
00:45:31,990 --> 00:45:33,490
You're guilty of a serious crime like murder.

1271
00:45:33,930 --> 00:45:35,170
And the judge says, okay, you're guilty.

1272
00:45:35,290 --> 00:45:36,110
All the evidence is here.

1273
00:45:36,450 --> 00:45:37,550
What do you have to say for yourself

1274
00:45:37,550 --> 00:45:38,730
before I pass sentence?

1275
00:45:38,910 --> 00:45:40,710
And you stand up and say, yes, judge,

1276
00:45:40,850 --> 00:45:42,030
I would just like to say that I

1277
00:45:42,030 --> 00:45:43,390
believe you're a good man and therefore you'll

1278
00:45:43,390 --> 00:45:43,890
let me go.

1279
00:45:45,390 --> 00:45:47,810
The judge would probably say something like, you're

1280
00:45:47,810 --> 00:45:48,430
right about one thing.

1281
00:45:48,430 --> 00:45:49,190
I am a good man.

1282
00:45:49,570 --> 00:45:51,550
And because of my goodness, I'm going to

1283
00:45:51,550 --> 00:45:52,950
see to it that justice is served.

1284
00:45:54,530 --> 00:45:56,010
Because of my goodness, I'm going to see

1285
00:45:56,010 --> 00:45:57,170
to it that you are punished for what

1286
00:45:57,170 --> 00:45:57,590
you have done.

1287
00:45:57,870 --> 00:46:00,170
And the very thing that sinners are hoping

1288
00:46:00,170 --> 00:46:01,690
will save them on the day of judgment

1289
00:46:01,690 --> 00:46:03,830
is the very thing that will condemn them.

1290
00:46:04,270 --> 00:46:06,550
Because if God is good, then by nature

1291
00:46:06,550 --> 00:46:10,410
He must punish murderers and rapists and liars

1292
00:46:10,410 --> 00:46:14,210
and thieves and adulterers and blasphemers and fornicators

1293
00:46:14,210 --> 00:46:16,390
and all those who have violated the inner

1294
00:46:16,390 --> 00:46:17,970
light that God has given to every man.

1295
00:46:19,050 --> 00:46:20,370
You see, we've been given a conscience.

1296
00:46:22,310 --> 00:46:23,290
We know right from wrong.

1297
00:46:23,470 --> 00:46:26,290
Con means with and science means knowledge.

1298
00:46:26,650 --> 00:46:27,050
Conscience.

1299
00:46:27,390 --> 00:46:29,230
Every time we lie and steal and lust,

1300
00:46:29,470 --> 00:46:31,210
we do it with knowledge that it's wrong.

1301
00:46:32,110 --> 00:46:33,610
So we will have no excuse.

1302
00:46:36,620 --> 00:46:38,200
So I said, Ray, the truth is if

1303
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:41,440
God gives you justice, you're not headed for

1304
00:46:41,440 --> 00:46:42,820
heaven, but you'd be headed for hell.

1305
00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:46,320
And he just stared at the floor of

1306
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:46,920
the golf cart.

1307
00:46:49,810 --> 00:46:51,130
And it hit him like a ton of

1308
00:46:51,130 --> 00:46:51,470
bricks.

1309
00:46:52,190 --> 00:46:53,110
And he had nothing to say.

1310
00:46:54,850 --> 00:46:56,830
He understood that he had violated God's law

1311
00:46:56,830 --> 00:46:58,250
and he had angered God and the wrath

1312
00:46:58,250 --> 00:46:59,370
of God abides on him.

1313
00:46:59,670 --> 00:47:00,770
He could now see that when he was

1314
00:47:00,770 --> 00:47:02,510
weighed in the balance of eternal justice, he

1315
00:47:02,510 --> 00:47:03,410
was in huge trouble.

1316
00:47:04,450 --> 00:47:07,090
And now he could see and appreciate the

1317
00:47:07,090 --> 00:47:08,550
need for a payment.

1318
00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:11,820
And I said, Ray, do you see your

1319
00:47:11,820 --> 00:47:12,720
need for God's forgiveness?

1320
00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:14,780
And he just looked at me.

1321
00:47:15,700 --> 00:47:18,260
And I said, I've got some wonderful news

1322
00:47:18,260 --> 00:47:18,520
for you.

1323
00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:19,780
Put yourself back in the courtroom.

1324
00:47:20,380 --> 00:47:23,060
You're in a civil court this time with

1325
00:47:23,060 --> 00:47:25,020
multiple crimes against you.

1326
00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:27,900
Your fine has been set at $500,000

1327
00:47:27,900 --> 00:47:29,120
or life imprisonment.

1328
00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:30,940
You can't pay your fine and you're being

1329
00:47:30,940 --> 00:47:32,300
let off to your prison when all of

1330
00:47:32,300 --> 00:47:34,900
a sudden someone steps into the courtroom and

1331
00:47:34,900 --> 00:47:36,400
walks up to the judge, hands him a

1332
00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:40,380
check for $500,000 and pays your fine

1333
00:47:40,380 --> 00:47:40,760
in full.

1334
00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:42,300
And the judge says, Ray, wait.

1335
00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:44,980
Your fine has just been paid.

1336
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:46,480
You're free to go.

1337
00:47:48,530 --> 00:47:50,010
We can't hold you here anymore.

1338
00:47:50,930 --> 00:47:51,150
Leave.

1339
00:47:52,470 --> 00:47:53,750
You're free to go on the ground that

1340
00:47:53,750 --> 00:47:55,010
this man has just paid your fine.

1341
00:47:55,270 --> 00:47:57,770
And his sacrifice is a demonstration of his

1342
00:47:57,770 --> 00:47:58,570
great love for you.

1343
00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:02,340
I said, Ray, that's what happened.

1344
00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:04,540
That's what God did for us 2,000

1345
00:48:04,540 --> 00:48:05,040
years ago.

1346
00:48:05,380 --> 00:48:07,980
Jesus stepped into the courtroom and paid our

1347
00:48:07,980 --> 00:48:09,640
fine when he died on the cross for

1348
00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:10,260
our sins.

1349
00:48:12,580 --> 00:48:15,580
The God of the universe humbled himself, became

1350
00:48:15,580 --> 00:48:17,140
a man, and suffered and died on the

1351
00:48:17,140 --> 00:48:20,530
cross for you and for me.

1352
00:48:20,910 --> 00:48:23,030
The Bible says God demonstrated his own love

1353
00:48:23,030 --> 00:48:24,310
for us and that while we were still

1354
00:48:24,310 --> 00:48:25,950
sinners, Christ died for us.

1355
00:48:26,430 --> 00:48:28,850
Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of

1356
00:48:28,850 --> 00:48:31,070
the law being made a curse for us.

1357
00:48:32,190 --> 00:48:34,470
We broke the law and Jesus paid our

1358
00:48:34,470 --> 00:48:34,850
fine.

1359
00:48:35,110 --> 00:48:36,430
It's as simple as that.

1360
00:48:48,090 --> 00:48:49,310
We talked about repentance.

1361
00:48:50,210 --> 00:48:51,250
We got to the end of the golf

1362
00:48:51,250 --> 00:48:52,470
course.

1363
00:48:53,270 --> 00:48:54,310
We were in the parking lot.

1364
00:48:54,630 --> 00:48:56,150
Ray stood up and began to cry.

1365
00:48:58,900 --> 00:49:00,560
He sat down in the front of the

1366
00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:02,400
cart and said, I've been running from God

1367
00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:02,940
my whole life.

1368
00:49:02,940 --> 00:49:03,800
I can't do it anymore.

1369
00:49:05,730 --> 00:49:07,070
I said, Do you need God to forgive

1370
00:49:07,070 --> 00:49:07,830
you and change your heart?

1371
00:49:07,910 --> 00:49:08,730
He said, Yes, I do.

1372
00:49:09,830 --> 00:49:10,710
I said, Then tell him.

1373
00:49:10,950 --> 00:49:12,210
Confess and forsake your sin.

1374
00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:15,180
Do it now.

1375
00:49:15,320 --> 00:49:15,600
Pray.

1376
00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:18,680
Then trust in Jesus with all your heart.

1377
00:49:19,940 --> 00:49:20,760
And Ray began to pray.

1378
00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:21,860
I didn't lead him through a sinner's prayer.

1379
00:49:21,940 --> 00:49:23,920
He just began to pray and confess his

1380
00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:24,180
sin.

1381
00:49:24,580 --> 00:49:25,300
He knew he had lied.

1382
00:49:25,400 --> 00:49:26,020
He knew he had stolen.

1383
00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:27,180
He knew it had angered God.

1384
00:49:27,500 --> 00:49:28,600
And he said, God forgive me.

1385
00:49:30,900 --> 00:49:32,000
And then I prayed for him.

1386
00:49:32,660 --> 00:49:33,960
And we opened our eyes and he had

1387
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:35,200
a smile on his face and he said,

1388
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:36,300
Ray, something's different in my heart.

1389
00:49:37,580 --> 00:49:39,600
You can't see it, but God knows and

1390
00:49:39,600 --> 00:49:41,180
I know and I'm a different...

1391
00:49:41,180 --> 00:49:42,180
something's changed.

1392
00:49:42,900 --> 00:49:44,280
The next morning I gave him a Bible.

1393
00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:46,120
He said he was going to read it

1394
00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:47,820
and lead his family out of the darkness

1395
00:49:47,820 --> 00:49:48,440
and into the light.

1396
00:49:48,540 --> 00:49:49,620
And my wife asked him, How was your

1397
00:49:49,620 --> 00:49:50,620
golf game yesterday, Ray?

1398
00:49:51,020 --> 00:49:53,240
He said, Chelsea, yesterday was the best day

1399
00:49:53,240 --> 00:49:54,880
of my entire life and golf had nothing

1400
00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:55,540
to do with it.

1401
00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:06,300
What happened to Ray?

1402
00:50:06,540 --> 00:50:07,920
I didn't say anything special.

1403
00:50:08,600 --> 00:50:10,400
I wasn't an expert evangelist.

1404
00:50:10,580 --> 00:50:13,380
I simply used the methods that Jesus has

1405
00:50:13,380 --> 00:50:15,820
used that all of the people in Scripture

1406
00:50:15,820 --> 00:50:16,340
use.

1407
00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:22,120
The old time-tested methods of the Master.

1408
00:50:22,780 --> 00:50:24,320
This is not a new method of using

1409
00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:27,180
the law to show a person the disease

1410
00:50:27,180 --> 00:50:28,500
so that they appreciate the cure.

1411
00:50:28,720 --> 00:50:30,040
We've just gotten away from it in the

1412
00:50:30,040 --> 00:50:32,360
last hundred years and turned it into, God

1413
00:50:32,360 --> 00:50:33,760
loves you and has a wonderful plan for

1414
00:50:33,760 --> 00:50:34,240
your life.

1415
00:50:35,020 --> 00:50:36,200
He'll fill the hole in your heart.

1416
00:50:40,650 --> 00:50:43,650
The law must precede the Gospel.

1417
00:50:44,390 --> 00:50:44,790
Why?

1418
00:50:45,410 --> 00:50:48,290
Because you must send the needle of the

1419
00:50:48,290 --> 00:50:51,450
law first to open the way if you

1420
00:50:51,450 --> 00:50:53,230
ever want the silken thread of the Gospel

1421
00:50:53,230 --> 00:50:54,810
to follow in after it.

1422
00:50:56,110 --> 00:50:59,130
Otherwise, you're pushing it up against a hard

1423
00:50:59,130 --> 00:50:59,410
heart.

1424
00:51:00,250 --> 00:51:01,970
You must plow up the hard soil of

1425
00:51:01,970 --> 00:51:04,370
the heart if it is proud and arrogant

1426
00:51:04,370 --> 00:51:05,310
and self-righteous.

1427
00:51:06,590 --> 00:51:09,130
With the spade of the law to make

1428
00:51:09,130 --> 00:51:11,710
the ground soft so that the seed of

1429
00:51:11,710 --> 00:51:13,210
the Gospel of Grace will take root.

1430
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:20,000
It's always law to the proud and then

1431
00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:21,760
grace when they're humble.

1432
00:51:22,820 --> 00:51:24,260
That is the way of the Master.

1433
00:51:27,540 --> 00:51:29,720
I'd like to close with something a little

1434
00:51:29,720 --> 00:51:31,580
different before we break.

1435
00:51:33,640 --> 00:51:35,620
With every eye open and with every head

1436
00:51:35,620 --> 00:51:44,650
raised and no music playing, I'd like us

1437
00:51:44,650 --> 00:51:47,150
to examine the validity of our own salvation.

1438
00:51:47,990 --> 00:51:49,410
This is serious business.

1439
00:51:51,050 --> 00:51:53,050
You've probably heard it said never question your

1440
00:51:53,050 --> 00:51:53,470
salvation.

1441
00:51:53,650 --> 00:51:55,010
The Bible says the exact opposite.

1442
00:51:55,010 --> 00:51:57,410
It says examine yourself and see if you

1443
00:51:57,410 --> 00:51:58,050
are in the faith.

1444
00:51:58,470 --> 00:51:59,970
It's better now than on the day of

1445
00:51:59,970 --> 00:52:00,270
judgment.

1446
00:52:02,580 --> 00:52:04,720
The Bible says make your calling and election

1447
00:52:04,720 --> 00:52:05,260
sure.

1448
00:52:06,220 --> 00:52:08,360
And some of you know that something is

1449
00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:10,040
radically wrong in your Christian walk.

1450
00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:13,060
You know that you lose your joy and

1451
00:52:13,060 --> 00:52:14,380
your peace when the flight gets bumpy.

1452
00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:18,540
You've never fallen on your face before Almighty

1453
00:52:18,540 --> 00:52:21,440
God and said, Oh God, I've sinned against

1454
00:52:21,440 --> 00:52:21,740
you.

1455
00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:23,100
Have mercy on me.

1456
00:52:24,500 --> 00:52:26,900
You've never fled to Jesus and his blood

1457
00:52:26,900 --> 00:52:27,680
for cleansing.

1458
00:52:28,460 --> 00:52:31,800
In desperation, crying out, God, be merciful to

1459
00:52:31,800 --> 00:52:32,400
me, a sinner.

1460
00:52:34,320 --> 00:52:35,800
And there's a lack of gratitude.

1461
00:52:36,340 --> 00:52:38,360
You're a flip about being a Christian.

1462
00:52:39,340 --> 00:52:41,360
There's not a burning passion for the lost.

1463
00:52:43,140 --> 00:52:45,500
Those who are dying and will go to

1464
00:52:45,500 --> 00:52:45,740
hell.

1465
00:52:46,460 --> 00:52:48,060
You can't say that you're on fire for

1466
00:52:48,060 --> 00:52:48,340
God.

1467
00:52:48,580 --> 00:52:50,000
In fact, you're in danger of being one

1468
00:52:50,000 --> 00:52:53,580
of the ones called lukewarm and who will

1469
00:52:53,580 --> 00:52:55,100
be spewed out of the mouth of Christ

1470
00:52:55,100 --> 00:52:57,440
on the day of judgment when multitudes will

1471
00:52:57,440 --> 00:52:59,020
cry out to him, Lord, Lord!

1472
00:52:59,940 --> 00:53:02,080
And he will say to them, Depart from

1473
00:53:02,080 --> 00:53:04,160
me, I never knew you, you who practice

1474
00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:06,220
iniquity, lawlessness.

1475
00:53:09,240 --> 00:53:12,240
You have no respect for the divine law

1476
00:53:12,240 --> 00:53:13,800
of a holy God.

1477
00:53:14,500 --> 00:53:16,500
The Bible says, Let everyone who names the

1478
00:53:16,500 --> 00:53:20,240
name of Christ depart from iniquity, lawlessness.

1479
00:53:22,060 --> 00:53:24,460
And so today you need to readjust the

1480
00:53:24,460 --> 00:53:27,220
motive for your commitment.

1481
00:53:30,270 --> 00:53:33,070
Perhaps you see your sin in a new

1482
00:53:33,070 --> 00:53:36,670
light because you've looked into the mirror and

1483
00:53:36,670 --> 00:53:42,300
you realize that your wandering eye that entertains

1484
00:53:42,300 --> 00:53:46,160
lustful thoughts is adultery in the eyes of

1485
00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:46,500
the Lord.

1486
00:53:47,160 --> 00:53:50,340
That your white lies are deceit in the

1487
00:53:50,340 --> 00:53:50,960
eyes of the Lord.

1488
00:53:51,200 --> 00:53:53,500
That your petty theft, your white collar theft,

1489
00:53:53,680 --> 00:53:55,740
taking things from the office, from school, skimming

1490
00:53:55,740 --> 00:54:01,310
off the top, cheating on your tax reports

1491
00:54:03,260 --> 00:54:04,900
is wicked in the eyes of the Lord.

1492
00:54:06,580 --> 00:54:08,180
And you need to get right with God.

1493
00:54:09,620 --> 00:54:10,500
What do you do?

1494
00:54:11,940 --> 00:54:13,060
What do you do different?

1495
00:54:13,880 --> 00:54:16,000
Repent and put your faith in Christ.

1496
00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:19,360
Repentance simply means turn away from your sin

1497
00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:20,240
and turn toward God.

1498
00:54:22,060 --> 00:54:23,540
Desire to have nothing to do with sin

1499
00:54:23,540 --> 00:54:26,020
and desire to live in obedience to the

1500
00:54:26,020 --> 00:54:26,260
Lord.

1501
00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:29,820
Confess and forsake your sin and begin to

1502
00:54:29,820 --> 00:54:32,760
move toward God with a desire to never

1503
00:54:32,760 --> 00:54:33,480
go back to sin.

1504
00:54:34,140 --> 00:54:36,820
You won't be perfect but Jesus was perfect

1505
00:54:36,820 --> 00:54:38,860
and He died for you and He'll give

1506
00:54:38,860 --> 00:54:41,500
you the power to overcome your sin when

1507
00:54:41,500 --> 00:54:42,240
you are born again.

1508
00:54:42,460 --> 00:54:43,740
And put your faith in Jesus Christ.

1509
00:54:43,800 --> 00:54:45,800
It doesn't just mean intellectually believe He died

1510
00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:46,320
on the cross.

1511
00:54:46,500 --> 00:54:47,780
The demons believe and they tremble.

1512
00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:48,600
They know that's true.

1513
00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:50,780
You must put your faith in Jesus.

1514
00:54:51,540 --> 00:54:54,320
That means to trust Jesus the same way

1515
00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:55,760
you'd put your trust in a parachute if

1516
00:54:55,760 --> 00:54:56,920
you were jumping out of a plane at

1517
00:54:56,920 --> 00:54:57,940
25,000 feet.

1518
00:55:00,020 --> 00:55:01,300
You know it's the only thing that's going

1519
00:55:01,300 --> 00:55:01,840
to save you.

1520
00:55:02,360 --> 00:55:03,860
If I told you you had to do

1521
00:55:03,860 --> 00:55:05,200
that and there was a parachute under your

1522
00:55:05,200 --> 00:55:06,320
seat, what would you do?

1523
00:55:07,360 --> 00:55:08,280
You'd put it on.

1524
00:55:08,400 --> 00:55:09,340
Would it do you any good to just

1525
00:55:09,340 --> 00:55:10,120
believe in the parachute?

1526
00:55:10,900 --> 00:55:11,260
No.

1527
00:55:12,100 --> 00:55:13,280
And that's what the Bible says.

1528
00:55:13,380 --> 00:55:15,000
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

1529
00:55:16,420 --> 00:55:17,180
How do you do that?

1530
00:55:17,260 --> 00:55:17,920
Obey the Gospel.

1531
00:55:18,300 --> 00:55:21,340
Repent of your sin and trust Jesus Christ

1532
00:55:23,240 --> 00:55:25,080
and you will become a new creation in

1533
00:55:25,080 --> 00:55:25,420
Christ.

1534
00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:27,000
Old things will pass away.

1535
00:55:27,100 --> 00:55:33,870
New things have come and you will be

1536
00:55:33,870 --> 00:55:38,150
a faithful and true laborer on fire to

1537
00:55:38,150 --> 00:55:39,270
seek and save the lost.

1538
00:55:40,530 --> 00:55:42,250
That's why Christians are here on earth.

1539
00:55:43,070 --> 00:55:44,810
Who can say that they love the lost

1540
00:55:45,330 --> 00:55:46,710
and not pull them from the fire?

1541
00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:56,260
I'd like to pray really quick before we

1542
00:55:56,260 --> 00:55:56,660
break.

1543
00:55:58,740 --> 00:56:00,700
Father, I thank you for this afternoon.

1544
00:56:00,840 --> 00:56:04,520
I thank you for your humbling, humbling law.

1545
00:56:06,400 --> 00:56:08,460
Your moral standard is so much higher than

1546
00:56:08,460 --> 00:56:08,780
ours.

1547
00:56:11,150 --> 00:56:13,630
We are filthy dirty in your pure, pure

1548
00:56:13,630 --> 00:56:14,090
eyes.

1549
00:56:15,290 --> 00:56:17,190
And I thank you for Jesus on the

1550
00:56:17,190 --> 00:56:17,530
cross.

1551
00:56:19,510 --> 00:56:21,170
I thank you for his blood that cleanses

1552
00:56:21,170 --> 00:56:21,790
us from sin.

1553
00:56:22,670 --> 00:56:23,990
And I pray that you will humble people

1554
00:56:23,990 --> 00:56:25,710
here today to stop being arrogant and proud

1555
00:56:25,710 --> 00:56:29,370
and self-righteous and come to the Savior

1556
00:56:29,370 --> 00:56:34,210
on their knees, broken over their sin, willingly

1557
00:56:34,210 --> 00:56:36,930
crying out and begging you for mercy, surrendering

1558
00:56:36,930 --> 00:56:38,690
their life to you as not just their

1559
00:56:38,690 --> 00:56:40,670
Savior, but as the Lord that they desire

1560
00:56:40,670 --> 00:56:42,470
to obey and live for.

1561
00:56:43,350 --> 00:56:44,750
Raise up laborers today.

1562
00:56:45,630 --> 00:56:48,310
Turn on the lights and set them on

1563
00:56:48,310 --> 00:56:51,050
fire to seek and save the lost, no

1564
00:56:51,050 --> 00:56:53,370
longer being complacent, sitting in their seats worshiping

1565
00:56:53,370 --> 00:56:55,710
you with their hands and their lips, but

1566
00:56:55,710 --> 00:56:56,990
denying you in the way they live their

1567
00:56:56,990 --> 00:56:57,290
life.

1568
00:56:59,250 --> 00:57:01,650
Convict me of my sin, Lord, and refresh

1569
00:57:01,650 --> 00:57:02,690
me with your Holy Spirit.

1570
00:57:05,430 --> 00:57:07,190
Thank you, Father, for your love and compassion

1571
00:57:07,190 --> 00:57:07,810
and your grace.

1572
00:57:08,950 --> 00:57:10,110
I pray in Christ's name.

1573
00:57:10,190 --> 00:57:10,410
Amen.

1574
00:57:14,230 --> 00:57:15,590
Amen.