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I want

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to read a verse, first of all, in

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1 Peter chapter 1.

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1 Peter 1, it says here what we

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should not be like and what we should

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be like.

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1 Peter 1, 14, as obedient children, do

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not be conformed to the former lusts which

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were yours in your ignorance.

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That teaches us that when a man lives

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according to his lusts, it is because he

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is ignorant of God.

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Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters, the

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proof that you are ignorant of God, you

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don't know God at all, is that you

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live according to your lusts.

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Any man in the world, whether Christian, believer,

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non-Christian, who lives according to his lusts

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is in ignorance, he doesn't know God.

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So when a lot of Christians say that

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they know God and yield to their lusts,

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they're telling lies.

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They don't really know the God of the

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Bible, they know some other God who is

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a figment of their own imagination.

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But the true Christian, this is how he

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does, he is not conformed to his former

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lusts, because now he's not ignorant, but like

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the Holy One who called you, be holy

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yourselves in all your behavior, because it is

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written, you shall be holy because I'm holy.

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That's the main reason why we should be

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holy, because He's our Father.

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And listen to this, verse 17, and if

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you address as Father, that means we call

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God Father, the one who impartially judges according

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to each man's work.

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Conduct yourself in fear during the time of

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your stay upon earth, our entire lifetime.

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It says we must live in reverent fear.

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The Living Bible says, act in reverent fear

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of Him from now on until you get

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to heaven.

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There is a fear we're not supposed to

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have, and there is a fear we're supposed

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to have.

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And we need to distinguish between the two.

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We are all familiar with that verse in

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2 Timothy 1.7, which says God has

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not given us a spirit of fear.

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But at the same time, it's like judging,

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you know, Jesus said, do not judge, but

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judge.

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I don't know whether you know that.

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In John 7.24, He said, don't judge

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according to the appearance, but judge with righteous

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judgment.

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So He didn't tell us never to judge.

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He said, don't judge according to the appearance,

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but you must judge, righteous judgment.

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And so if you don't judge, you're disobeying

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God.

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Some people know only one part of that

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verse, don't judge.

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In the same way, Jesus also said, do

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not fear, but fear.

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That's in Matthew 10.

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And all failure in the Christian life comes

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because of an imbalanced understanding of the truth.

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It says in Matthew 10.28, do not

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fear those who kill the body.

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It means don't fear man, but rather fear

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him who is able to destroy both soul

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and body.

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So just like Jesus said, don't judge, but

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judge in John 7.24. He says here

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in Matthew 10.28, don't fear, but fear.

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And a lot of Christians are taken up

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with the first part, don't fear.

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God has not given us the spirit of

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fear.

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There are many verses like that.

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You know, Zachariah prophesied at the birth of

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John that we should serve God without fear.

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And that's how it should be.

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And we know that other verse in Romans

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in chapter eight, which says, you have not

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received a spirit of slavery, Romans 8.15,

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to fear again, but a spirit of adoption

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by which we cry above father.

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So there are a number of verses that

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teach us we're not to be afraid.

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We're not to be afraid of God.

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Jesus often said, fear not, fear not, fear

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not, don't be afraid.

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He came to deliver us, the Bible says

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in Hebrews chapter two and verse 14 and

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15, from the fear of death by defeating

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the one who had the power of death

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and taking away that power from him so

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that he might deliver us who through fear

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of death were subject to slavery.

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See, in Romans 8.15 also it says

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about fear and slavery.

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Fear always brings us slavery.

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When you're afraid of man, you're a slave

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of man.

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Every man you're afraid of, you're his slave,

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whether you know it or not.

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Anyone you want to try to please, any

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man you want to try and please, you're

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his slave, whether you know it or not.

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That's why the Bible says we should not

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seek to please men.

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We should not be afraid of men.

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When we are afraid of death, we're in

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slavery.

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Any type of fear brings slavery.

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That type of fear we've got to be

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released from completely, totally, 100%.

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But there's another type of fear, a reverent

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fear of God which brings freedom.

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And it's because many Christians do not have

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that reverent fear of God that they don't

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come into freedom.

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I feel as I've observed our own church

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here through, as I look back over the

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past say 10 years, when we began to

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break free from the clutches of legalism and

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law that governed a lot of our preaching

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in previous years, and we never want to

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go back to that, I have observed something

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which is very sad.

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In the last 10 years, folks in our

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church here have indulged in more secret sin

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than in the previous 15 years when we

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were under law.

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Not everybody.

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Number.

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You don't know.

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I happen to know a number.

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And I ask myself, why is that?

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And I also know that some others have

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come into a far more glorious freedom and

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a holiness that they've never experienced in previous

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years.

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And I'll tell you why.

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The reason is, and it may apply to

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a number of you here, because you know

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the sins you've lived in, in secret, that

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nobody in this church knows about.

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Perhaps only God, but maybe some of you

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are living in sin.

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I don't even know about myself.

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It doesn't matter.

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It's because in breaking free from the old

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covenant, we have not entered the new covenant,

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but no covenant.

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See, there are three possibilities.

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Old covenant, no covenant, new covenant.

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And many people here in CFC have said,

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we're finished with legalism, we're finished with the

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old covenant, and entered into an area which

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I would call no covenant.

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They break free from the fear of man

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and the fear of the elder brothers and

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come into a place where they don't even

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fear God.

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It's very sad.

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People feared Moses and lived holier lives than

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a lot of Christians today.

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And that is why I've always said, if

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you come to this church, if you don't

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fear God, at least fear the elders.

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That's second best, because that's old covenant.

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They feared Moses and obeyed him.

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It wasn't the best.

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It was a fear of God.

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But examine your life and see whether your

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holiness has exceeded the holiness of people under

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the old covenant.

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If not, I want to say to you,

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you're living in a delusion.

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Have you broken free?

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It's because we don't have that.

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You know, we've heard a lot about the

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love of God.

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But many people think of God as a

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grandfather.

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You know, the love of a grandfather is

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different from the love of a father.

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I want to tell you, God is no

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grandfather.

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He's not one who just ignores anything you

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do, like grandfathers do.

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What did we read in 1 Peter 1?

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Spend your entire life on earth.

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This is not Old Testament.

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This is New Testament.

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It's the apostle Peter writing 30 years after

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the day of Pentecost.

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Spend your entire life on earth in fear.

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The same word.

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I'm supposed to live my entire life on

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earth, 1 Peter 1, 17, in fear.

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In fear of what?

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Fear of God.

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Let me show you some other verses.

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Hebrews chapter.

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I'm not going to go to the Old

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Testament.

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I'm going to be in the new covenant,

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in the New Testament, Hebrews chapter 12.

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In Hebrews chapter 12, it says, Hebrews

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12, verse 25, after speaking about coming to

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Jesus, verse 24, the mediator of a new

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covenant.

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He says, then if that is the case,

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you've come to Jesus, the blood of Jesus

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that cleanses you from all sin.

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Then see to it that you don't refuse

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him who is speaking.

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And listen to this.

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This is a warning to new covenant people.

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For if those did not escape, that is,

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those under the old covenant did not escape

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when they refused him who warned them on

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earth, much less shall we escape who turn

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away from him who warns from heaven.

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And his voice shook the earth then, but

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now he has promised not only earth, but

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he's also going to shake heaven.

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And this expression yet once more denotes the

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removing of those things which can be shaken

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as of created things in order that things

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which cannot be shaken may remain.

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Every created thing is going to be shaken.

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Those of you who depend on created things,

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I want to say you're on a shaky

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foundation.

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If you are glorying in anything created, you're

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on a shaky foundation.

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If your foundation is money, property, a good

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job, a secure job, and 101 earthly things

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like that, you are going to be shaken

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without a doubt.

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There'll be nothing left underneath you.

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The only things that will remain are the

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things which are not created.

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And therefore, since this is going to happen,

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what shall we do?

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Since we are going to receive a kingdom

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that cannot be shaken, what should we do?

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Let us show gratitude.

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How do you show gratitude for Jesus dying

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for you?

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There is only one way to show gratitude

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to Jesus for dying for you, and that

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is by offering to God an acceptable service

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with reverence and awe.

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How many of you brothers and sisters have

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a reverence and awe for God 24 hours

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a day that makes you afraid to say

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certain things, that makes you afraid to do

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certain things?

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I fear it has disappeared because you have

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moved from old covenant to no covenant.

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And the devil has deceived you to think

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that this is the freedom there is in

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Christ.

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Freedom has become an opportunity for the flesh.

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Like I said, the student who cheats in

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00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,400
the examination and passes and then asks the

274
00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:57,960
Lord to forgive him and cleanse him in

275
00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,880
his blood, he thinks he's got the best

276
00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:00,620
of both worlds.

277
00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:02,160
He passed in his exam.

278
00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:04,840
At the same time, he confessed his sin

279
00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:06,680
and Jesus forgave his sin, and he also

280
00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:08,760
believes in justification, which means just as if

281
00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:09,680
I had never sinned.

282
00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:11,440
That means, praise the Lord, it's just as

283
00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:12,660
if I never cheated in the exam.

284
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,420
Isn't that wonderful gospel that I can pass

285
00:14:15,420 --> 00:14:17,400
in the exam with cheating, confess my sin,

286
00:14:17,460 --> 00:14:18,700
and be just as if I had never

287
00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:19,000
cheated?

288
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,580
It's not just as if you had never

289
00:14:22,580 --> 00:14:22,860
cheated.

290
00:14:25,220 --> 00:14:28,660
Every sin we commit, God may forgive it,

291
00:14:29,340 --> 00:14:32,040
but it causes a scar which will never

292
00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:32,700
be removed.

293
00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:34,360
I don't know whether you know that.

294
00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,460
We have to reap what we sow.

295
00:14:38,060 --> 00:14:39,560
Do you think a man can live 50

296
00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,140
years in sin, and another man lives 50

297
00:14:42,140 --> 00:14:44,100
years in faithfulness, and at the end of

298
00:14:44,100 --> 00:14:46,280
those 50 years, the fellow says, I'm justified

299
00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,460
by the blood of Christ, just as if

300
00:14:48,460 --> 00:14:49,880
I'd never sinned, and God says, yeah, you're

301
00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:51,100
all going to get the same reward in

302
00:14:51,100 --> 00:14:51,240
heaven.

303
00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,540
God would be the most unrighteous person in

304
00:14:53,540 --> 00:14:54,840
the universe if he ever did that.

305
00:14:57,410 --> 00:14:58,730
How could God do that?

306
00:14:59,030 --> 00:15:00,470
Treat a man who's lived in sin for

307
00:15:00,470 --> 00:15:01,870
50 years and claims to be a believer

308
00:15:01,870 --> 00:15:03,730
in the same way as another man who's

309
00:15:03,730 --> 00:15:05,550
been absolutely faithful for 50 years.

310
00:15:06,610 --> 00:15:08,910
So don't misunderstand justification.

311
00:15:09,130 --> 00:15:11,350
Justification gives us a standing before God.

312
00:15:11,750 --> 00:15:12,830
I don't have to be condemned.

313
00:15:13,070 --> 00:15:14,110
I don't have to be discouraged.

314
00:15:14,650 --> 00:15:15,310
That's true.

315
00:15:15,850 --> 00:15:17,850
But it does not make me equal to

316
00:15:17,850 --> 00:15:19,630
another man who's been faithful for 20 years.

317
00:15:19,730 --> 00:15:21,190
You've got to be crazy to think like

318
00:15:21,190 --> 00:15:21,530
that.

319
00:15:22,270 --> 00:15:24,370
Because Jesus said, my reward is with me

320
00:15:24,370 --> 00:15:26,450
to give to every man according as his

321
00:15:26,450 --> 00:15:27,270
work shall be.

322
00:15:28,790 --> 00:15:30,910
Believe me, my dear brothers and sisters, a

323
00:15:30,910 --> 00:15:32,630
lot of believers are going to have tremendous

324
00:15:32,630 --> 00:15:34,890
regret in heaven because they moved out from

325
00:15:34,890 --> 00:15:36,050
the old covenant to no covenant.

326
00:15:36,270 --> 00:15:40,190
And Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and David, and

327
00:15:40,190 --> 00:15:41,710
a lot of those old covenant people will

328
00:15:41,710 --> 00:15:44,490
be way miles ahead of a lot of

329
00:15:44,490 --> 00:15:45,510
new covenant Christians.

330
00:15:46,570 --> 00:15:48,710
Because those fellows lived under the old covenant,

331
00:15:49,210 --> 00:15:51,290
and these so-called Christians lived under no

332
00:15:51,290 --> 00:15:51,590
covenant.

333
00:15:52,870 --> 00:15:54,790
They tried to get rid of the fear,

334
00:15:55,510 --> 00:15:57,010
all fear, and they got rid of the

335
00:15:57,010 --> 00:15:57,910
fear of God as well.

336
00:15:59,030 --> 00:16:01,290
And their attitude to sin became so light

337
00:16:01,290 --> 00:16:01,550
-hearted.

338
00:16:03,030 --> 00:16:04,850
They tried to offer to God a service

339
00:16:04,850 --> 00:16:07,070
without any reverence, without any awe.

340
00:16:08,150 --> 00:16:11,550
They ignored these passages of the New Testament.

341
00:16:12,250 --> 00:16:14,150
And they got a one-sided Christianity, which

342
00:16:14,150 --> 00:16:16,810
always spoke about, always be sure you're accepted

343
00:16:16,810 --> 00:16:17,530
before God.

344
00:16:17,750 --> 00:16:18,650
God loves you, brother.

345
00:16:19,610 --> 00:16:20,470
Don't, don't be.

346
00:16:20,670 --> 00:16:22,390
Remember, God loves you just as you are.

347
00:16:22,490 --> 00:16:23,510
His love is unconditioned.

348
00:16:23,510 --> 00:16:24,130
It's all true.

349
00:16:25,350 --> 00:16:26,570
But if you only look at that, you've

350
00:16:26,570 --> 00:16:27,910
got one side of God, and you've got

351
00:16:27,910 --> 00:16:30,030
a one-sided God, and you'll see the

352
00:16:30,030 --> 00:16:31,430
end result of that in the way you

353
00:16:31,430 --> 00:16:31,710
live.

354
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:35,600
And I believe that's the reason.

355
00:16:35,820 --> 00:16:37,200
It's one of the great schemes of the

356
00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:37,420
devil.

357
00:16:38,060 --> 00:16:39,240
The devil's got many schemes.

358
00:16:40,580 --> 00:16:42,860
He releases games like Dungeons and Dragons to

359
00:16:42,860 --> 00:16:44,640
get people to get used to witchcraft.

360
00:16:44,780 --> 00:16:47,460
He releases books like Harry Potter, etc., to

361
00:16:47,460 --> 00:16:48,740
get people used to witchcraft.

362
00:16:48,740 --> 00:16:52,440
And he also urges Christians to think about

363
00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:54,840
God's love, and how good he is, and

364
00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,320
how unconditional his love is.

365
00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,140
And we never must be afraid, and we

366
00:16:59,140 --> 00:17:02,680
must always know that God has accepted us,

367
00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,280
and how justification means, just as if I've

368
00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,640
never sinned in my life, and how wonderful

369
00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,560
this gospel is, and we spend our time

370
00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:11,500
praising, worshiping, praising, worshiping.

371
00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:12,819
Now, I'll tell you something.

372
00:17:12,900 --> 00:17:14,560
In the last ten years, our singing has

373
00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:15,700
improved tremendously.

374
00:17:16,079 --> 00:17:18,460
But I wonder whether our holiness has improved

375
00:17:18,460 --> 00:17:19,119
just as much.

376
00:17:19,220 --> 00:17:19,940
And I'll tell you something.

377
00:17:20,980 --> 00:17:23,560
The only worship that is acceptable to God

378
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,200
is the worship that is offered in what

379
00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,280
the Bible calls the beauty of holiness.

380
00:17:31,180 --> 00:17:32,560
Now, let me show you that verse, because

381
00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:34,760
that principle remains true in Psalm 96 and

382
00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:35,200
verse 9.

383
00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,720
It says here in Psalm 96 and verse

384
00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,840
9, Worship the Lord in the beauty of

385
00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:47,360
holiness, or as the NASB says, in holy

386
00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:48,080
dress.

387
00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,120
Worship the Lord in holy dress.

388
00:17:54,420 --> 00:17:59,340
Now, that means that if you're not coming

389
00:17:59,340 --> 00:18:04,160
in holy dress to worship God, you're coming

390
00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:04,680
naked.

391
00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,120
Think of yourself coming here without a stitch

392
00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:09,040
of clothing on you.

393
00:18:11,430 --> 00:18:15,770
However loudly and wonderfully you may sing and

394
00:18:15,770 --> 00:18:16,490
praise God.

395
00:18:17,790 --> 00:18:19,270
People say, what's wrong with this fellow?

396
00:18:19,410 --> 00:18:20,730
The fellow's not wearing any clothes.

397
00:18:22,270 --> 00:18:24,550
You'd be ashamed to come here without any

398
00:18:24,550 --> 00:18:24,890
clothes.

399
00:18:24,970 --> 00:18:26,190
You would be ashamed to come here in

400
00:18:26,190 --> 00:18:27,050
an underwear.

401
00:18:28,250 --> 00:18:31,830
The Bible says that's how it is when

402
00:18:31,830 --> 00:18:33,370
you come to worship God and there's not

403
00:18:33,370 --> 00:18:34,730
holiness in your life.

404
00:18:37,990 --> 00:18:39,470
And I don't mean this type of holiness

405
00:18:39,470 --> 00:18:42,230
where you keep on living in sin right

406
00:18:42,230 --> 00:18:43,590
up to this morning and then say, oh

407
00:18:43,590 --> 00:18:44,290
Lord, cleanse me.

408
00:18:44,810 --> 00:18:45,550
I'm justified now.

409
00:18:45,610 --> 00:18:46,730
It's just as if I've never sinned the

410
00:18:46,730 --> 00:18:47,170
whole week.

411
00:18:48,910 --> 00:18:52,010
Don't fool yourself with these psychological tricks.

412
00:18:53,170 --> 00:18:53,950
God is not fooled.

413
00:18:54,030 --> 00:18:54,890
The devil's not fooled.

414
00:18:55,670 --> 00:18:56,850
Godly men are not fooled.

415
00:18:56,950 --> 00:18:57,710
Only you're fooled.

416
00:19:00,830 --> 00:19:03,330
I have preached and have believed in justification

417
00:19:03,330 --> 00:19:05,070
by the blood of Christ more than anybody

418
00:19:05,070 --> 00:19:05,770
else, perhaps.

419
00:19:07,250 --> 00:19:09,550
But I fear God.

420
00:19:10,190 --> 00:19:12,070
I know who God is, and anyone who

421
00:19:12,070 --> 00:19:14,890
lives close enough to God will reverence Him

422
00:19:14,890 --> 00:19:16,530
more than anybody else.

423
00:19:17,630 --> 00:19:22,070
We live in a day when people are

424
00:19:22,070 --> 00:19:24,810
trying to be chummy with God, slap Him

425
00:19:24,810 --> 00:19:26,390
on the back, and that type of thing.

426
00:19:27,150 --> 00:19:29,930
These are people who don't have any understanding

427
00:19:29,930 --> 00:19:30,750
of the true God.

428
00:19:30,870 --> 00:19:32,570
I believe that many Christians are worshiping a

429
00:19:32,570 --> 00:19:35,890
false God, God of their imagination, who's a

430
00:19:35,890 --> 00:19:37,470
grandfather, who just allows them to do what

431
00:19:37,470 --> 00:19:37,850
they like.

432
00:19:38,330 --> 00:19:41,370
There's no sense of responsibility and no sense

433
00:19:41,370 --> 00:19:44,510
of reverence, and I'm convinced that many are

434
00:19:44,510 --> 00:19:45,470
living under no covenant.

435
00:19:45,730 --> 00:19:49,010
The Bible says the law was our schoolmaster

436
00:19:49,010 --> 00:19:52,270
to lead us to Christ, Galatians 3.

437
00:19:52,770 --> 00:19:55,250
Not to lead us nowhere, but that's where

438
00:19:55,250 --> 00:19:56,430
a lot of people have been led, to

439
00:19:56,430 --> 00:19:59,330
a false Christ who allows us to live

440
00:19:59,330 --> 00:19:59,770
as we like.

441
00:19:59,770 --> 00:20:01,830
The word reverence has gone.

442
00:20:01,930 --> 00:20:03,550
We're worshiping the Lord, and we think that

443
00:20:03,550 --> 00:20:06,070
the thing that really impresses God is if

444
00:20:06,070 --> 00:20:09,330
all the drums and the music are all

445
00:20:09,330 --> 00:20:11,850
going wonderfully, and our singing is so beautiful,

446
00:20:12,230 --> 00:20:15,510
and the parts go so well, but what

447
00:20:15,510 --> 00:20:16,230
about the holiness?

448
00:20:17,250 --> 00:20:19,390
That's the one thing God is looking for.

449
00:20:23,570 --> 00:20:25,590
We need to understand what is the mark

450
00:20:25,590 --> 00:20:27,110
of God's blessing in the New Covenant.

451
00:20:28,070 --> 00:20:30,250
In the Old Covenant it is very clear.

452
00:20:30,370 --> 00:20:32,170
If you read Deuteronomy 28, the first 13

453
00:20:32,170 --> 00:20:33,670
verses, you know what is the mark of

454
00:20:33,670 --> 00:20:35,110
God's blessing in the Old Covenant.

455
00:20:35,830 --> 00:20:39,490
If God was blessing you in Israel, the

456
00:20:39,490 --> 00:20:42,270
proof of it would be, you'd have a

457
00:20:42,270 --> 00:20:44,670
lot of money, you'd have a lot of

458
00:20:44,670 --> 00:20:52,510
children, your cattle would multiply abundantly, your barns

459
00:20:52,510 --> 00:20:55,950
will overflow with your crops, your enemies will

460
00:20:55,950 --> 00:20:59,150
cringe before you in fear, you will never

461
00:20:59,150 --> 00:21:02,750
be in debt, you'll borrow from nobody, you'll

462
00:21:02,750 --> 00:21:10,550
be a person whom human beings respect, because

463
00:21:10,550 --> 00:21:12,250
God's blessing you.

464
00:21:12,910 --> 00:21:14,670
Now the sad thing is that a lot

465
00:21:14,670 --> 00:21:16,570
of Christians today think that that's the mark

466
00:21:16,570 --> 00:21:18,230
of God's blessing in the New Covenant too,

467
00:21:18,410 --> 00:21:19,490
except for the children part.

468
00:21:19,930 --> 00:21:21,230
They don't want that many children, but all

469
00:21:21,230 --> 00:21:21,830
the other things.

470
00:21:22,430 --> 00:21:23,790
They say that's the mark of God's blessing.

471
00:21:23,870 --> 00:21:24,270
It's not.

472
00:21:25,530 --> 00:21:27,610
There's only one mark of God's blessing in

473
00:21:27,610 --> 00:21:29,010
the New Covenant, and that's we become like

474
00:21:29,010 --> 00:21:29,650
Jesus Christ.

475
00:21:30,630 --> 00:21:31,670
Never forget that.

476
00:21:32,070 --> 00:21:33,770
How do I know whether God's blessed me

477
00:21:33,770 --> 00:21:34,790
in the year 2003?

478
00:21:35,410 --> 00:21:37,730
I've become a little more Christ-like, a

479
00:21:37,730 --> 00:21:39,290
little more gracious, a little more gentle, a

480
00:21:39,290 --> 00:21:40,950
little more humble, and above all, a little

481
00:21:40,950 --> 00:21:43,830
more pure than I ever was in my

482
00:21:43,830 --> 00:21:44,310
whole life.

483
00:21:44,570 --> 00:21:45,430
God's blessed me then.

484
00:21:45,970 --> 00:21:47,310
A little more free from the love of

485
00:21:47,310 --> 00:21:48,850
money than I was in the last year

486
00:21:48,850 --> 00:21:51,010
and the previous year, and God's blessed me.

487
00:21:52,310 --> 00:21:54,430
See, in the Old Testament, you could fear

488
00:21:54,430 --> 00:21:56,870
God and love money and have a lot

489
00:21:56,870 --> 00:21:59,210
of money also, but Jesus said you can't

490
00:21:59,210 --> 00:22:00,630
love God and love money at the same

491
00:22:00,630 --> 00:22:00,970
time.

492
00:22:01,570 --> 00:22:02,430
They're two opposites.

493
00:22:03,410 --> 00:22:04,750
The closer you come to God, the further

494
00:22:04,750 --> 00:22:05,770
away you come from money.

495
00:22:06,150 --> 00:22:07,410
The closer you come to money, whether you

496
00:22:07,410 --> 00:22:08,810
know it or not, the further away you're

497
00:22:08,810 --> 00:22:09,390
going from God.

498
00:22:09,450 --> 00:22:10,530
It's like two opposite walls.

499
00:22:11,110 --> 00:22:12,330
You can't go to the North Pole and

500
00:22:12,330 --> 00:22:13,230
the South Pole at the same time.

501
00:22:13,330 --> 00:22:14,510
The further you go away from the North

502
00:22:14,510 --> 00:22:15,730
Pole, the closer you come to the South

503
00:22:15,730 --> 00:22:15,930
Pole.

504
00:22:16,430 --> 00:22:17,730
The further you go away from the South

505
00:22:17,730 --> 00:22:18,830
Pole, the closer you come to the North

506
00:22:18,830 --> 00:22:18,970
Pole.

507
00:22:19,050 --> 00:22:20,090
God and money are like that.

508
00:22:20,090 --> 00:22:22,030
The closer you come to money, believe it

509
00:22:22,030 --> 00:22:24,870
or not, the further away you're going from

510
00:22:24,870 --> 00:22:25,190
God.

511
00:22:25,430 --> 00:22:26,130
That is New Covenant.

512
00:22:26,410 --> 00:22:27,650
How many people understand that?

513
00:22:28,350 --> 00:22:30,290
The devil has deceived people in this area.

514
00:22:32,190 --> 00:22:34,950
No man, I don't believe any man, can

515
00:22:34,950 --> 00:22:36,850
be close to God and be close to

516
00:22:36,850 --> 00:22:37,670
money at the same time.

517
00:22:37,730 --> 00:22:38,250
It's impossible.

518
00:22:38,370 --> 00:22:41,690
Jesus, you read Luke 16.13. These are

519
00:22:41,690 --> 00:22:44,770
marks of New Covenant blessing and one of

520
00:22:44,770 --> 00:22:46,450
the earthly proofs of it.

521
00:22:46,450 --> 00:22:48,610
I can imagine I'm becoming like Jesus.

522
00:22:49,830 --> 00:22:52,510
But one of the tests of our relationship

523
00:22:52,510 --> 00:22:56,350
with Jesus Christ, like John says, if you

524
00:22:56,350 --> 00:22:58,470
say you love God and you don't love

525
00:22:58,470 --> 00:23:00,150
your brother, you're a liar.

526
00:23:00,290 --> 00:23:00,870
You're not a believer.

527
00:23:00,990 --> 00:23:01,890
You're just fooling yourself.

528
00:23:02,710 --> 00:23:04,090
It's very easy for somebody to think, I

529
00:23:04,090 --> 00:23:05,670
love God, but I can't love that person.

530
00:23:05,830 --> 00:23:06,790
Well, something's wrong with you.

531
00:23:06,810 --> 00:23:07,790
You don't love God at all.

532
00:23:08,330 --> 00:23:09,730
If there's a brother or sister whom you

533
00:23:09,730 --> 00:23:12,430
can't love, I don't care what you may

534
00:23:12,430 --> 00:23:12,590
say.

535
00:23:12,690 --> 00:23:13,770
I mean, you may not agree with that

536
00:23:13,770 --> 00:23:13,990
person.

537
00:23:14,030 --> 00:23:14,710
That's another thing.

538
00:23:14,730 --> 00:23:15,890
You may not be able to work together.

539
00:23:15,970 --> 00:23:16,430
I can't work together.

540
00:23:16,450 --> 00:23:17,190
I can't work together with a lot of

541
00:23:17,190 --> 00:23:19,190
believers because they compromise in so many things.

542
00:23:19,850 --> 00:23:20,690
But I don't hate them.

543
00:23:20,730 --> 00:23:21,210
I love them.

544
00:23:21,690 --> 00:23:22,790
I love a lot of people and that's

545
00:23:22,790 --> 00:23:23,610
why I don't work with them.

546
00:23:24,270 --> 00:23:26,370
I love them too much to encourage their

547
00:23:26,370 --> 00:23:26,770
compromise.

548
00:23:27,410 --> 00:23:30,150
But if I don't love them, I don't

549
00:23:30,150 --> 00:23:30,610
love God.

550
00:23:32,630 --> 00:23:34,150
If I love God, I have to love

551
00:23:34,150 --> 00:23:35,050
every single brother.

552
00:23:35,550 --> 00:23:36,870
I've got to love every one of God's

553
00:23:36,870 --> 00:23:37,150
children.

554
00:23:37,610 --> 00:23:38,630
Otherwise, I don't love God.

555
00:23:38,690 --> 00:23:39,630
I'm just fooling myself.

556
00:23:40,570 --> 00:23:41,930
And if I'm becoming more and more like

557
00:23:41,930 --> 00:23:44,730
Christ in the vertical direction, one proof of

558
00:23:44,730 --> 00:23:46,310
it will be that I'll be having more

559
00:23:46,310 --> 00:23:50,010
and more fellowship with godly people.

560
00:23:51,630 --> 00:23:53,690
If you're getting more and more fellowship with

561
00:23:53,690 --> 00:23:56,550
worldly people, you're going in the wrong direction.

562
00:23:57,290 --> 00:23:58,870
Just like Jesus spoke about God and money,

563
00:23:59,730 --> 00:24:01,970
1 John chapter 2 verse 16, 17 says,

564
00:24:01,970 --> 00:24:04,830
If any man loves the world, the love

565
00:24:04,830 --> 00:24:05,930
of the Father is not in him.

566
00:24:06,770 --> 00:24:08,150
If you love the world, the love of

567
00:24:08,150 --> 00:24:09,450
the Father cannot be there.

568
00:24:10,330 --> 00:24:13,850
So, the more worldly my friends are, the

569
00:24:13,850 --> 00:24:15,050
more I'm away from God.

570
00:24:15,230 --> 00:24:16,370
Actually, I don't love God at all.

571
00:24:17,010 --> 00:24:19,210
The more I love God, the more my

572
00:24:19,210 --> 00:24:22,970
fellowship with godly people will increase.

573
00:24:24,170 --> 00:24:27,790
And if you're really become more like Christ

574
00:24:27,790 --> 00:24:30,730
in the year 2003, your fellowship with godly

575
00:24:30,730 --> 00:24:33,150
people should have increased in this year.

576
00:24:34,050 --> 00:24:35,830
And if your fellowship with godly people has

577
00:24:35,830 --> 00:24:39,910
become less, you're fooling yourself that the blessing

578
00:24:39,910 --> 00:24:40,990
of God is upon your life.

579
00:24:40,990 --> 00:24:42,870
And I don't mean fellowship with a whole

580
00:24:42,870 --> 00:24:44,770
lot of carnal worldly type of Christians.

581
00:24:44,970 --> 00:24:46,170
I mean, they're also there.

582
00:24:46,870 --> 00:24:49,410
But, it's fellowship with the godly.

583
00:24:50,050 --> 00:24:54,350
Jesus was very selective about whom he spent

584
00:24:54,350 --> 00:24:55,490
most of his time with.

585
00:24:55,690 --> 00:24:57,050
He preached to the multitudes.

586
00:24:59,310 --> 00:25:04,690
He selected 70 from the multitudes whom he

587
00:25:04,690 --> 00:25:05,950
sent out two by two.

588
00:25:06,250 --> 00:25:07,230
I mean, Jesus, come on.

589
00:25:07,530 --> 00:25:09,150
Jesus sending out people two by two.

590
00:25:09,350 --> 00:25:11,190
And those 70 people cast out demons.

591
00:25:11,190 --> 00:25:13,090
They got so excited when they came back

592
00:25:13,090 --> 00:25:14,370
and said, Lord, the demons are subject to

593
00:25:14,370 --> 00:25:14,550
us.

594
00:25:14,970 --> 00:25:16,650
Then he said, that's fine, all you fellows.

595
00:25:17,090 --> 00:25:19,290
Demons are cast out and you're serving me.

596
00:25:19,430 --> 00:25:22,350
But from you, I don't think 58 of

597
00:25:22,350 --> 00:25:23,950
you are wholehearted enough.

598
00:25:24,090 --> 00:25:25,870
I've got to select 12 out of you.

599
00:25:26,410 --> 00:25:27,850
Can you imagine how the other 58 felt?

600
00:25:28,030 --> 00:25:29,170
Hey, we're also serving God.

601
00:25:29,290 --> 00:25:30,070
We're casting out demons.

602
00:25:30,630 --> 00:25:33,070
That's fine, Jesus said, but there are 12

603
00:25:33,070 --> 00:25:35,750
whom I select out of the 70.

604
00:25:36,490 --> 00:25:38,510
And if the other 58 get offended, they're

605
00:25:38,510 --> 00:25:39,410
welcome to get offended.

606
00:25:39,630 --> 00:25:40,830
They're welcome to go where they like.

607
00:25:41,770 --> 00:25:43,170
But Jesus was very selective.

608
00:25:44,010 --> 00:25:44,850
He selected 12.

609
00:25:45,730 --> 00:25:47,010
And then he called these 12 and he

610
00:25:47,010 --> 00:25:48,790
said, well, I find that three of you

611
00:25:48,790 --> 00:25:50,650
are a little more sensitive to things of

612
00:25:50,650 --> 00:25:51,490
God than the others.

613
00:25:51,990 --> 00:25:53,450
And he picked out Peter, James, and John.

614
00:25:54,030 --> 00:25:56,270
And he always took them with him wherever

615
00:25:56,270 --> 00:25:58,230
he went for special things, like praying for

616
00:25:58,230 --> 00:25:59,230
Jairus' daughter who was dead.

617
00:25:59,630 --> 00:26:00,750
Peter, James, and John come.

618
00:26:01,590 --> 00:26:02,610
Praying alone gets so many.

619
00:26:02,690 --> 00:26:03,710
Peter, James, and John come.

620
00:26:03,910 --> 00:26:05,230
Going up to the Mount of Transfiguration.

621
00:26:05,330 --> 00:26:05,810
Peter, James, and John come.

622
00:26:05,830 --> 00:26:06,970
It was not by rotation.

623
00:26:07,290 --> 00:26:08,690
Okay, now this is your turn.

624
00:26:08,970 --> 00:26:09,490
Next shift.

625
00:26:09,790 --> 00:26:10,270
Next three.

626
00:26:10,270 --> 00:26:12,290
He didn't believe in all these earthly things.

627
00:26:12,590 --> 00:26:15,110
He was closer to those who were more

628
00:26:15,110 --> 00:26:16,770
sensitive to the things of God.

629
00:26:17,310 --> 00:26:18,210
Not perfect people.

630
00:26:18,290 --> 00:26:19,710
You know Peter was not a perfect person.

631
00:26:20,570 --> 00:26:22,170
But he was a sincere person.

632
00:26:23,190 --> 00:26:24,610
Thank God he was not a perfect person,

633
00:26:24,690 --> 00:26:25,670
otherwise we'd have no hope.

634
00:26:26,370 --> 00:26:27,730
But he was utterly sincere.

635
00:26:28,690 --> 00:26:29,830
And Jesus selected.

636
00:26:30,170 --> 00:26:31,810
From the multitude he selected 70.

637
00:26:31,910 --> 00:26:32,870
From that he selected 12.

638
00:26:32,930 --> 00:26:33,810
From that he selected three.

639
00:26:36,380 --> 00:26:40,000
And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today,

640
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:40,900
and forever.

641
00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:46,760
Don't think that he's as close to every

642
00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:48,240
believer as to the other.

643
00:26:49,100 --> 00:26:49,940
He loves everybody.

644
00:26:50,060 --> 00:26:50,760
He blesses everybody.

645
00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:51,720
He's not just as close.

646
00:26:52,380 --> 00:26:54,820
From the multitude, even today, he selects 70.

647
00:26:54,940 --> 00:26:55,460
He selects 12.

648
00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:56,160
He selects three.

649
00:26:58,410 --> 00:26:59,670
If he doesn't do that, we'd have to

650
00:26:59,670 --> 00:27:00,390
say he has changed.

651
00:27:00,610 --> 00:27:01,650
I don't believe he has changed.

652
00:27:02,110 --> 00:27:03,850
I believe he's exactly the same today.

653
00:27:03,930 --> 00:27:05,450
And that's why I want to say the

654
00:27:05,450 --> 00:27:08,470
Lord is not as close to every believer

655
00:27:08,470 --> 00:27:09,970
in CFC as to the other.

656
00:27:09,990 --> 00:27:10,550
It's not true.

657
00:27:10,870 --> 00:27:11,450
He wasn't there.

658
00:27:11,590 --> 00:27:12,810
It wasn't like that in Palestine.

659
00:27:12,930 --> 00:27:13,570
It's not true today.

660
00:27:13,570 --> 00:27:16,850
It all depends on your reverent fear.

661
00:27:17,970 --> 00:27:19,910
It does not depend on how well you

662
00:27:19,910 --> 00:27:20,430
can sing.

663
00:27:22,130 --> 00:27:23,630
It does not depend on how much money

664
00:27:23,630 --> 00:27:24,910
you put in the offering box.

665
00:27:25,870 --> 00:27:28,350
It depends on your reverent fear of him.

666
00:27:28,750 --> 00:27:30,830
Those who are closest to him, fear him

667
00:27:30,830 --> 00:27:31,350
the most.

668
00:27:32,770 --> 00:27:33,570
They're not insecure.

669
00:27:33,910 --> 00:27:35,410
It's not the fear of torment.

670
00:27:36,550 --> 00:27:36,750
No.

671
00:27:37,610 --> 00:27:40,070
They have understood God's perfect love.

672
00:27:40,930 --> 00:27:42,390
And like it says in 1 John chapter

673
00:27:42,390 --> 00:27:45,590
4, the wrong type of fear has been

674
00:27:45,590 --> 00:27:46,690
cast out of their life.

675
00:27:47,030 --> 00:27:49,070
You know, it says, there is no fear

676
00:27:49,070 --> 00:27:49,610
in love.

677
00:27:50,270 --> 00:27:52,970
1 John 4.18. Because perfect love has

678
00:27:52,970 --> 00:27:53,750
cast out fear.

679
00:27:55,070 --> 00:27:58,370
And that type of fear, those people who

680
00:27:58,370 --> 00:27:59,630
are close to the Lord don't have.

681
00:28:00,750 --> 00:28:02,770
You know, like someone has said, there are

682
00:28:02,770 --> 00:28:04,310
two types of fear of God.

683
00:28:05,550 --> 00:28:06,530
Listen carefully.

684
00:28:07,650 --> 00:28:09,530
One is the fear that God may hurt

685
00:28:09,530 --> 00:28:09,870
me.

686
00:28:12,700 --> 00:28:15,540
The other is the fear that I may

687
00:28:15,540 --> 00:28:16,380
hurt God.

688
00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,580
That's the right type of fear.

689
00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:21,740
One is the fear God may hurt me.

690
00:28:21,820 --> 00:28:22,980
We should never be afraid of that.

691
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:24,400
God's not evil.

692
00:28:24,580 --> 00:28:25,400
God's a good man.

693
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:26,860
He's not a good person.

694
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:28,260
He's not a hard taskmaster.

695
00:28:28,940 --> 00:28:30,320
He doesn't hurt people.

696
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,820
But the fear that I may hurt God

697
00:28:34,820 --> 00:28:40,800
by something I say, something I do, something

698
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,840
hurt God by different things in my life.

699
00:28:44,460 --> 00:28:46,560
I want to encourage you in this year

700
00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,940
to develop that fear.

701
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,980
To be totally free from the other fear

702
00:28:52,980 --> 00:28:55,280
that God may hurt you.

703
00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:57,960
And as much as you are free from

704
00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,020
that, to develop in this fear throughout this

705
00:29:01,020 --> 00:29:03,420
year, that I may hurt God.

706
00:29:04,500 --> 00:29:07,300
I may hurt my loving Father by something

707
00:29:07,300 --> 00:29:08,540
I do, something I say.

708
00:29:09,660 --> 00:29:10,700
See, that's how love is.

709
00:29:12,580 --> 00:29:15,160
See, the Bible says the relationship between Christ

710
00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,080
and us is like a husband and a

711
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:17,360
wife.

712
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:20,020
I mean, a wife who really loves her

713
00:29:20,020 --> 00:29:21,980
husband will respect him.

714
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,740
She won't want to do anything that hurts

715
00:29:26,740 --> 00:29:26,940
him.

716
00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:29,940
How can we say we love God, love

717
00:29:29,940 --> 00:29:33,420
the Lord, and do things that hurt him?

718
00:29:34,580 --> 00:29:35,920
Then you don't love at all.

719
00:29:36,500 --> 00:29:37,060
It's a deception.

720
00:29:37,060 --> 00:29:38,860
A wife who says, I love my husband

721
00:29:38,860 --> 00:29:40,980
tremendously and keeps on doing things that hurt

722
00:29:40,980 --> 00:29:43,000
him, she doesn't really love him at all.

723
00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:44,840
I think one mark of love is that

724
00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:46,000
I don't want to hurt the person I

725
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:46,200
love.

726
00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:48,940
Apply that to God.

727
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:51,820
And now let's ask ourselves, are we fooling

728
00:29:51,820 --> 00:29:55,260
ourselves that we love God a lot when

729
00:29:55,260 --> 00:29:59,640
we're taking advantage of His grace day after

730
00:29:59,640 --> 00:29:59,980
day?

731
00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:04,500
For myself, one of the tests I ask,

732
00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:06,600
I apply to myself is, am I being

733
00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:10,260
defeated by the same sins that I have

734
00:30:10,260 --> 00:30:11,660
been defeated by year after year?

735
00:30:12,140 --> 00:30:14,240
If so, I'm taking advantage of God's grace.

736
00:30:14,380 --> 00:30:15,580
Is there some progress there?

737
00:30:16,460 --> 00:30:18,280
Is there a progress towards perfection?

738
00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,660
Am I climbing to the peak of the

739
00:30:21,660 --> 00:30:25,080
mountain, or am I right down at the

740
00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,660
bottom still, rejoicing in justification?

741
00:30:30,180 --> 00:30:31,840
Have I moved out of the old covenant

742
00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:32,700
into no covenant?

743
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,880
If so, I would recommend to you, all

744
00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:40,420
of you, get back into the old covenant.

745
00:30:41,020 --> 00:30:43,140
Get back into legalism, because in the days

746
00:30:43,140 --> 00:30:45,100
of legalism, you did not sin like this.

747
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:48,400
That was better.

748
00:30:50,300 --> 00:30:51,500
There are many people who are under the

749
00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:52,720
old covenant who are in heaven.

750
00:30:52,860 --> 00:30:53,600
Jesus said that.

751
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:57,420
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, they're all in

752
00:30:57,420 --> 00:30:57,660
heaven.

753
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:00,640
But people who are under no covenant won't

754
00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:01,140
get there.

755
00:31:02,860 --> 00:31:04,860
God has provided something better than the old

756
00:31:04,860 --> 00:31:08,400
covenant, but the law was our schoolmaster to

757
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,060
lead us to Christ, not to lead us

758
00:31:11,060 --> 00:31:11,340
nowhere.

759
00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:14,860
And if you have not found this real

760
00:31:14,860 --> 00:31:18,060
Jesus, who's the mediator of this better covenant,

761
00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:20,320
then it's better to hang on to the

762
00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:22,100
schoolteacher, the law.

763
00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,060
I believe with all my heart that for

764
00:31:25,060 --> 00:31:27,400
a number of people sitting here, the life

765
00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,480
of legalism is far better than the life

766
00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:30,260
you're living today.

767
00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:32,880
I'm sorry to say that.

768
00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,440
It's not the best, it's second best.

769
00:31:35,820 --> 00:31:39,880
But second best is better than third or

770
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:41,140
fourth or tenth best.

771
00:31:43,190 --> 00:31:44,130
So that's what I'm saying.

772
00:31:45,130 --> 00:31:46,590
And I believe this is true even in

773
00:31:46,590 --> 00:31:48,450
the olden days, in the days of the

774
00:31:48,450 --> 00:31:51,890
apostles, where people took advantage of God's grace.

775
00:31:52,290 --> 00:31:53,930
It's not something new to the 20th century

776
00:31:53,930 --> 00:31:54,770
or 21st century.

777
00:31:55,410 --> 00:31:58,070
Even there, there were people who, when they

778
00:31:58,070 --> 00:32:01,470
heard the message of God's grace, they said,

779
00:32:01,570 --> 00:32:06,430
oh, let us do evil that grace may

780
00:32:06,430 --> 00:32:07,030
abound.

781
00:32:08,450 --> 00:32:10,830
And Paul says, you fellows are charging us

782
00:32:10,830 --> 00:32:11,590
with preaching that.

783
00:32:12,150 --> 00:32:13,810
Shall we sin that grace may increase?

784
00:32:15,180 --> 00:32:21,470
See, it says here in Romans, verse 8,

785
00:32:21,570 --> 00:32:24,990
chapter 3, verse 8, verse 7.

786
00:32:25,490 --> 00:32:31,230
But if through my life the truth of

787
00:32:31,230 --> 00:32:32,790
God is abounded to his glory, why am

788
00:32:32,790 --> 00:32:33,770
I being judged as a sinner?

789
00:32:33,890 --> 00:32:39,650
Why not say, as we are slanderously reported

790
00:32:39,650 --> 00:32:44,550
and some affirm that we say, that let

791
00:32:44,550 --> 00:32:47,390
us do evil, that good may come.

792
00:32:48,350 --> 00:32:53,610
That means some were slanderously saying, this gospel

793
00:32:53,610 --> 00:32:57,690
that Paul is preaching is one that encourages

794
00:32:57,690 --> 00:32:58,150
sin.

795
00:32:59,690 --> 00:33:01,490
See, he was preaching the gospel of free

796
00:33:01,490 --> 00:33:01,930
grace.

797
00:33:02,670 --> 00:33:06,530
And he says here, some have slanderously reported

798
00:33:06,530 --> 00:33:09,650
and affirmed that what we are preaching is,

799
00:33:09,930 --> 00:33:12,250
it doesn't matter if you sin, because you

800
00:33:12,250 --> 00:33:13,030
know you're justified.

801
00:33:13,890 --> 00:33:15,310
Like I said, it doesn't matter if you

802
00:33:15,310 --> 00:33:16,930
cheat in the exam, because you'll pass.

803
00:33:17,250 --> 00:33:18,430
And then you can ask God to forgive

804
00:33:18,430 --> 00:33:19,310
you and you'll be justified.

805
00:33:19,750 --> 00:33:21,410
And you will be just as if you

806
00:33:21,410 --> 00:33:22,550
had never cheated in the exam.

807
00:33:23,610 --> 00:33:24,590
Isn't that wonderful?

808
00:33:25,050 --> 00:33:27,290
That you can commit everything you want to

809
00:33:27,290 --> 00:33:31,850
live for yourself and live just like any

810
00:33:31,850 --> 00:33:35,090
rotten old sinner in the earth, indulging yourself

811
00:33:35,090 --> 00:33:36,910
and then ask Jesus to just forgive you

812
00:33:36,910 --> 00:33:37,570
and cleanse you.

813
00:33:37,710 --> 00:33:38,910
And it will be just as if you

814
00:33:38,910 --> 00:33:39,970
had never done those things.

815
00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:43,980
You know why God has allowed it like

816
00:33:43,980 --> 00:33:44,280
that?

817
00:33:48,900 --> 00:33:51,600
He's testing us in ways we don't realize.

818
00:33:53,730 --> 00:33:56,610
I heard a story once, it's only a

819
00:33:56,610 --> 00:34:03,050
parable, of people crowding outside the gates of

820
00:34:03,050 --> 00:34:06,810
heaven on the final day, wondering who will

821
00:34:06,810 --> 00:34:08,150
be allowed to go in and who will

822
00:34:08,150 --> 00:34:09,090
not be allowed to go in.

823
00:34:09,790 --> 00:34:10,750
I mean, that's not how it's going to

824
00:34:10,750 --> 00:34:12,469
be, but it's a parable which teaches us

825
00:34:12,469 --> 00:34:12,790
something.

826
00:34:14,679 --> 00:34:16,520
And you know, a lot of people who

827
00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:22,380
had denied themselves, stayed away from sin, were

828
00:34:22,380 --> 00:34:25,000
glad that they had done that because that

829
00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:30,440
would allow them to enter God's kingdom, cleansed

830
00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:31,219
in the blood of Christ.

831
00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:35,300
And then a rumor started coming through the

832
00:34:35,300 --> 00:34:40,040
crowd, from heaven as it were, that God's

833
00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:45,320
decided that it didn't matter if you lusted

834
00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:47,100
with your eyes, He's still going to take

835
00:34:47,100 --> 00:34:48,500
all of you in who lusted with your

836
00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:49,900
eyes and lived for money.

837
00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:52,500
And then there were a whole lot of

838
00:34:52,500 --> 00:34:54,860
people saying, Boy, I wish I'd known that

839
00:34:54,860 --> 00:34:56,500
when I was on earth.

840
00:34:57,140 --> 00:34:58,720
I mean, imagine telling me that right after

841
00:34:58,720 --> 00:34:59,920
I've died and come to heaven.

842
00:35:00,700 --> 00:35:02,200
Imagine how much I could have lusted, how

843
00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,320
much I could have lived for money.

844
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:09,840
And then the word came, all those who

845
00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:17,300
thought like that, that rumor was circulated with

846
00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:20,880
a purpose, to find out who really wanted

847
00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:23,280
to do it, but didn't do it just

848
00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:23,880
to get to heaven.

849
00:35:25,900 --> 00:35:26,760
Are you like that?

850
00:35:28,710 --> 00:35:31,010
Do you think Jesus lived a holy life

851
00:35:31,010 --> 00:35:31,690
just to get to heaven?

852
00:35:33,170 --> 00:35:34,810
What does it mean to partake of God's

853
00:35:34,810 --> 00:35:35,190
nature?

854
00:35:38,060 --> 00:35:41,360
You know, real holiness lies in the motive.

855
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:46,180
What is the motive with which you are

856
00:35:46,180 --> 00:35:47,200
living a holy life?

857
00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:49,520
There could be many motives.

858
00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:51,660
I want to live a holy life because

859
00:35:51,660 --> 00:35:53,680
I might get caught by somebody in the

860
00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:54,360
church if I sin.

861
00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:57,900
Okay, you live a holy life, but you're

862
00:35:57,900 --> 00:35:58,780
afraid of getting caught.

863
00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:00,320
There are people who don't commit adultery because

864
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:01,300
they may get AIDS.

865
00:36:01,820 --> 00:36:02,600
They're not holy.

866
00:36:03,420 --> 00:36:04,960
Even if they never commit adultery all their

867
00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:05,800
life, they're not holy.

868
00:36:06,820 --> 00:36:07,900
They're afraid of AIDS.

869
00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:10,980
They're afraid of getting caught by their wives

870
00:36:10,980 --> 00:36:12,720
or caught by some brother.

871
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:15,280
Deep down they really love to do it,

872
00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:17,560
but they don't do it because they're afraid

873
00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,860
it'll break up their marriage or something like

874
00:36:19,860 --> 00:36:20,120
that.

875
00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:21,340
And these fellows are not holy.

876
00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:24,200
These are people who are just self-seeking,

877
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:25,840
people who live for themselves.

878
00:36:26,540 --> 00:36:27,880
Imagine that they have repented.

879
00:36:28,380 --> 00:36:30,560
They've never repented from their self-centered life.

880
00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:33,860
There are people who want to be holy

881
00:36:33,860 --> 00:36:36,060
because they lose their testimony.

882
00:36:36,340 --> 00:36:37,840
Oh, if I do this, I lose my

883
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:38,160
testimony.

884
00:36:38,300 --> 00:36:39,260
And then there are other people who want

885
00:36:39,260 --> 00:36:40,380
to be holy because they want God to

886
00:36:40,380 --> 00:36:40,740
use them.

887
00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:42,800
If I'm not holy, God won't use me.

888
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,060
These are all selfish reasons.

889
00:36:47,550 --> 00:36:48,610
The Bible says, Be holy.

890
00:36:49,450 --> 00:36:50,530
God says, I'm holy.

891
00:36:52,730 --> 00:36:54,750
Never mind whether you're used or your testimony

892
00:36:54,750 --> 00:36:55,070
or anything.

893
00:36:55,550 --> 00:36:58,290
My Father in heaven is holy.

894
00:36:59,090 --> 00:37:00,290
I claim to be his child.

895
00:37:00,730 --> 00:37:04,410
In reverent awe, I live all my life.

896
00:37:05,910 --> 00:37:07,550
Let me show you another verse in 1

897
00:37:07,550 --> 00:37:07,970
Corinthians.

898
00:37:08,990 --> 00:37:12,330
Sorry, 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5.

899
00:37:13,990 --> 00:37:19,330
In 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5, it says, and

900
00:37:19,330 --> 00:37:26,280
verse 11, 2nd Corinthians 5, 11, Therefore, knowing

901
00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,220
the fear of the Lord, we persuade men,

902
00:37:28,300 --> 00:37:29,840
and we are made manifest to God.

903
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,820
Knowing the fear of the Lord, that's really

904
00:37:35,820 --> 00:37:36,240
something.

905
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:40,400
That means, this is new covenant.

906
00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:44,560
And he says that in connection with the

907
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:49,220
previous verse, we must all appear before the

908
00:37:49,220 --> 00:37:53,600
judgment seat of Christ, that each one may

909
00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:56,120
be rewarded for his deeds in the body

910
00:37:56,120 --> 00:38:00,520
according to what he has done, whether good

911
00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:02,240
or bad.

912
00:38:03,780 --> 00:38:07,980
Therefore, therefore means, because I'm going to appear

913
00:38:07,980 --> 00:38:10,920
at the judgment seat of Christ, and I'm

914
00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:14,080
going to be rewarded for everything I did

915
00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:19,240
in my body, good or bad, ooh, that

916
00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:22,380
brings a solemn fear of the Lord in

917
00:38:22,380 --> 00:38:23,120
my heart.

918
00:38:25,390 --> 00:38:26,510
And I persuade men.

919
00:38:27,370 --> 00:38:30,950
I say, hey fellas, remember this, you're going

920
00:38:30,950 --> 00:38:32,010
to stand before God.

921
00:38:35,310 --> 00:38:39,150
Don't think with all these justification gimmicks, you're

922
00:38:39,150 --> 00:38:41,470
going to stand there for everything you did

923
00:38:41,470 --> 00:38:41,990
in your body.

924
00:38:42,870 --> 00:38:45,310
Therefore, verse 9, we have only one ambition,

925
00:38:46,650 --> 00:38:48,470
whether we are in heaven or on earth,

926
00:38:48,850 --> 00:38:51,010
home or absent, I want to please Him.

927
00:38:52,770 --> 00:38:58,570
Why is it many in our church do

928
00:38:58,570 --> 00:39:02,190
not have a burning passion only to please

929
00:39:02,190 --> 00:39:02,690
God?

930
00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:06,040
Why is that?

931
00:39:08,310 --> 00:39:10,410
I fear it's because we have moved out

932
00:39:10,410 --> 00:39:12,490
of old covenant to new covenant.

933
00:39:13,350 --> 00:39:16,070
Old covenant people had a desire to please

934
00:39:16,070 --> 00:39:16,370
God.

935
00:39:16,490 --> 00:39:18,150
They did it with a legalistic spirit.

936
00:39:19,710 --> 00:39:21,130
But I want to say to you, my

937
00:39:21,130 --> 00:39:24,430
brothers and sisters, we are in tremendous danger

938
00:39:24,430 --> 00:39:27,750
of getting a one-sided picture.

939
00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:34,260
Paul says, we know the fear of the

940
00:39:34,260 --> 00:39:38,440
Lord, and therefore, knowing that we appear before

941
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:40,720
Him, we're going to give everything I did

942
00:39:40,720 --> 00:39:41,200
in my body.

943
00:39:41,300 --> 00:39:43,000
Jesus said, every idle word I speak, I'm

944
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:43,980
going to give an account in the day

945
00:39:43,980 --> 00:39:44,420
of judgment.

946
00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:45,640
I believe that.

947
00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:50,540
Let me show you another verse, 2 Corinthians

948
00:39:50,540 --> 00:39:51,140
chapter 7.

949
00:39:51,240 --> 00:39:52,440
This is all New Testament.

950
00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:54,020
We're not in the Old Testament.

951
00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:57,280
We're talking about New Testament verses written by

952
00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,060
Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

953
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:06,960
Verse 1, therefore, having these promises, beloved, which

954
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:07,480
promises?

955
00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:10,140
Turn back to verse 17 and 18 of

956
00:40:10,140 --> 00:40:10,900
chapter 6.

957
00:40:12,100 --> 00:40:14,260
Therefore, come out from their midst and be

958
00:40:14,260 --> 00:40:16,520
separate and don't touch what is unclean.

959
00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:18,720
You know, this is a promise.

960
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,520
The condition is, come out from all that

961
00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:24,540
is worldly and evil and don't touch what

962
00:40:24,540 --> 00:40:25,180
is unclean.

963
00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:26,980
And I will welcome you.

964
00:40:27,540 --> 00:40:29,220
I will be a father to you.

965
00:40:30,460 --> 00:40:32,540
You will be my sons and daughters, says

966
00:40:32,540 --> 00:40:33,320
the Lord Almighty.

967
00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:37,180
Therefore, since we have such a tremendous promise

968
00:40:37,180 --> 00:40:40,920
that God will be our Father, we can

969
00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:44,340
be sons and daughters if we pull out

970
00:40:44,340 --> 00:40:45,480
from all that is unclean.

971
00:40:45,620 --> 00:40:50,820
Therefore, let us cleanse ourselves, chapter 7 verse

972
00:40:50,820 --> 00:40:54,740
1, from all defilement of flesh and spirit,

973
00:40:55,460 --> 00:40:56,680
perfecting holiness.

974
00:40:58,020 --> 00:40:58,500
How?

975
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,120
In the fear of God.

976
00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,580
There is absolutely no way of perfecting holiness

977
00:41:04,580 --> 00:41:07,500
in the New Covenant age except in the

978
00:41:07,500 --> 00:41:08,220
fear of God.

979
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:11,680
You know, like you've heard me often say,

980
00:41:11,820 --> 00:41:13,460
don't try to hate your father and mother

981
00:41:13,460 --> 00:41:15,380
before you've learned to honor them.

982
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:20,000
The Old Covenant command was, honor your father

983
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:20,480
and mother.

984
00:41:20,620 --> 00:41:22,620
You've got to start there, then come to

985
00:41:22,620 --> 00:41:25,120
the New Covenant, Luke 14, 26, hate your

986
00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:27,140
father and mother to be my disciple.

987
00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:29,740
But when a young person who has not

988
00:41:29,740 --> 00:41:31,820
learned to honor his father and mother, not

989
00:41:31,820 --> 00:41:34,340
learned to deeply respect and love his father

990
00:41:34,340 --> 00:41:36,940
and mother, tries to hate his father and

991
00:41:36,940 --> 00:41:38,140
mother, you know what's going to happen?

992
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:40,240
He's not going to be a disciple.

993
00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:42,620
He's going to have hatred in his heart.

994
00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,220
Because in any case, he detests the authority

995
00:41:45,220 --> 00:41:47,220
of his father and mother and he loves

996
00:41:47,220 --> 00:41:48,820
Luke 14, 26.

997
00:41:49,420 --> 00:41:50,600
That's the verse for me.

998
00:41:51,260 --> 00:41:52,360
Hate my father and mother.

999
00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:55,060
That's how these cults, these cults are built

1000
00:41:55,060 --> 00:41:55,580
like that.

1001
00:41:55,720 --> 00:41:57,760
People who are taught to hate their father

1002
00:41:57,760 --> 00:41:58,180
and mother.

1003
00:41:58,180 --> 00:42:00,880
I say, you cannot hate your father and

1004
00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:02,760
mother until you've first learned to honor them.

1005
00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:05,160
And anybody sitting here who has not first

1006
00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,340
learned to honor his father and mother and

1007
00:42:07,340 --> 00:42:09,960
deeply respect his father and mother, I say,

1008
00:42:10,020 --> 00:42:12,900
don't even try to come to Luke 14,

1009
00:42:12,980 --> 00:42:13,340
26.

1010
00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:14,660
That verse is not for you.

1011
00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:16,500
You've got to get past the Old Covenant

1012
00:42:16,500 --> 00:42:16,960
first.

1013
00:42:17,940 --> 00:42:20,580
The law is our schoolteacher to lead us

1014
00:42:20,580 --> 00:42:21,200
to Christ.

1015
00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:24,280
And you can't get there without that schoolteacher.

1016
00:42:25,660 --> 00:42:27,080
And it's the same thing.

1017
00:42:27,340 --> 00:42:28,820
Do you know the first people who heard

1018
00:42:28,820 --> 00:42:31,820
about the grace of God were Jewish people

1019
00:42:31,820 --> 00:42:34,960
who had learned the fear of God first.

1020
00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:37,760
The Old Testament was all about the fear

1021
00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:38,260
of God.

1022
00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:41,200
And to those people who for 1,500

1023
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,660
years under the law had been taught to

1024
00:42:43,660 --> 00:42:46,020
be afraid of God, Jesus came with the

1025
00:42:46,020 --> 00:42:46,940
message of grace.

1026
00:42:48,380 --> 00:42:50,200
And boy, was it a liberation.

1027
00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:54,180
But today, a whole lot of people are

1028
00:42:54,180 --> 00:42:57,160
learning about grace who haven't learned about the

1029
00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:57,760
fear of God.

1030
00:42:58,420 --> 00:43:00,300
It's exactly like I said earlier, teach people

1031
00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:02,140
to hate their father and mother who haven't

1032
00:43:02,140 --> 00:43:03,580
learned to honor their father and mother.

1033
00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:04,820
What's going to happen?

1034
00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:06,920
They're not going to get it right.

1035
00:43:08,020 --> 00:43:09,900
I believe that the true disciple of Jesus

1036
00:43:09,900 --> 00:43:11,460
must not allow his father and mother to

1037
00:43:11,460 --> 00:43:11,980
run his life.

1038
00:43:12,180 --> 00:43:13,720
But he must have learned to honor them

1039
00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:14,120
first.

1040
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:16,120
I learned to honor my father and mother

1041
00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:17,220
first before I hated them.

1042
00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:20,000
And you've got to learn the fear of

1043
00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:21,740
God before you can appreciate the grace of

1044
00:43:21,740 --> 00:43:21,880
God.

1045
00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:23,620
Otherwise you'll get a false grace.

1046
00:43:26,340 --> 00:43:29,900
The reverence for God is an essential component

1047
00:43:29,900 --> 00:43:33,000
of the true grace of God.

1048
00:43:34,100 --> 00:43:36,940
A grace of God that does not include

1049
00:43:36,940 --> 00:43:39,080
a reverential fear of God is a false

1050
00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:39,540
grace.

1051
00:43:41,570 --> 00:43:43,070
How do we know that we've got the

1052
00:43:43,070 --> 00:43:43,970
true grace of God?

1053
00:43:45,190 --> 00:43:48,530
You know, even in the apostle Peter's time,

1054
00:43:49,030 --> 00:43:50,650
he had to mention this in 1 Peter

1055
00:43:50,650 --> 00:43:51,150
5.

1056
00:43:52,750 --> 00:43:56,770
After writing this whole letter in 1 Peter

1057
00:43:56,770 --> 00:43:59,510
5, he said, I want to tell you

1058
00:43:59,510 --> 00:43:59,890
something.

1059
00:44:01,550 --> 00:44:02,910
He didn't write it himself.

1060
00:44:03,570 --> 00:44:04,570
He got somebody else.

1061
00:44:04,650 --> 00:44:05,730
I think Peter was an old man.

1062
00:44:06,370 --> 00:44:07,270
He got his brother.

1063
00:44:08,270 --> 00:44:11,490
Maybe Peter wouldn't have got his Greek spellings

1064
00:44:11,490 --> 00:44:13,370
right because he wasn't a scholar.

1065
00:44:14,230 --> 00:44:16,330
So he asked his brother Silvanus, 1 Peter

1066
00:44:16,330 --> 00:44:19,010
5.12, to write down the letter.

1067
00:44:19,570 --> 00:44:21,210
Silvanus, you know spelling better than me.

1068
00:44:21,370 --> 00:44:22,490
You know grammar better than me.

1069
00:44:22,990 --> 00:44:24,050
I'll dictate and you write.

1070
00:44:25,410 --> 00:44:27,510
And he says, Through Silvanus, our faithful brother,

1071
00:44:27,910 --> 00:44:32,190
I have written to you briefly, exhorting and

1072
00:44:32,190 --> 00:44:32,750
testifying.

1073
00:44:32,850 --> 00:44:33,950
Do you know what's the theme of my

1074
00:44:33,950 --> 00:44:34,790
letter, Paul says?

1075
00:44:35,870 --> 00:44:40,070
This is the true grace of God.

1076
00:44:40,970 --> 00:44:42,190
Stand firm in it.

1077
00:44:42,290 --> 00:44:43,450
There is a false grace.

1078
00:44:43,810 --> 00:44:46,550
Thirty years after Pentecost, there was a false

1079
00:44:46,550 --> 00:44:47,230
grace around.

1080
00:44:48,310 --> 00:44:50,010
And Peter had to warn against that.

1081
00:44:50,390 --> 00:44:51,850
What is the true grace of God?

1082
00:44:52,870 --> 00:44:54,350
Let's look at a few verses in his

1083
00:44:54,350 --> 00:44:54,630
letter.

1084
00:44:55,450 --> 00:44:59,050
1 Peter 1, verse 17.

1085
00:45:00,030 --> 00:45:02,710
If you address his father, the one who

1086
00:45:02,710 --> 00:45:05,690
impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct

1087
00:45:05,690 --> 00:45:10,130
yourself in your entire time on earth in

1088
00:45:10,130 --> 00:45:10,550
fear.

1089
00:45:11,130 --> 00:45:12,650
This is the true grace of God.

1090
00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:17,300
Chapter 2, verse 1.

1091
00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:20,980
Put aside all malice, all guile, all hypocrisy,

1092
00:45:21,180 --> 00:45:24,120
all envy, all backbiting, slander, gossip.

1093
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:26,240
This is the true grace of God.

1094
00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:32,920
Chapter 2, verse 17.

1095
00:45:33,700 --> 00:45:36,680
Honor all men, love the brotherhood and fear

1096
00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:37,280
God.

1097
00:45:38,240 --> 00:45:39,820
This is the true grace of God.

1098
00:45:40,860 --> 00:45:42,400
A grace of God which does not include

1099
00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:43,960
the fear of God is a false grace.

1100
00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:47,100
Chapter 2, verse 21.

1101
00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:50,060
Christ has suffered for you, leaving you an

1102
00:45:50,060 --> 00:45:54,000
example to follow in His steps who committed

1103
00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:54,800
no sin.

1104
00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:56,840
Read it together.

1105
00:45:57,340 --> 00:46:01,340
In His steps who committed no sin and

1106
00:46:01,340 --> 00:46:04,060
in whose mouth no deceit was found.

1107
00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:05,640
This is the true grace of God.

1108
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:07,880
Who when He was reviled, verse 23, He

1109
00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:09,300
did not revile in return.

1110
00:46:09,740 --> 00:46:11,120
This is the true grace of God.

1111
00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:13,920
Wives, chapter 3, verse 1.

1112
00:46:14,060 --> 00:46:16,500
Be submissive to your husbands even if they

1113
00:46:16,500 --> 00:46:17,500
don't obey God's word.

1114
00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:19,340
This is the true grace of God.

1115
00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:21,500
Wives, verse 3, chapter 3.

1116
00:46:21,620 --> 00:46:24,820
Don't let your adornment be braiding the hair,

1117
00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:26,420
wearing gold, putting on dresses.

1118
00:46:26,620 --> 00:46:27,920
This is the true grace of God.

1119
00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:29,420
Husbands, verse 7.

1120
00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:31,300
Live in an understanding way with your wife

1121
00:46:31,300 --> 00:46:34,100
as a weaker vessel, giving her honor.

1122
00:46:34,620 --> 00:46:35,980
If you don't give honor to your wife

1123
00:46:35,980 --> 00:46:38,120
as a weaker vessel, you have not understood

1124
00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:39,960
the true grace of God.

1125
00:46:40,960 --> 00:46:43,820
And further, chapter 4, verse 1.

1126
00:46:45,060 --> 00:46:47,440
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh,

1127
00:46:47,680 --> 00:46:50,280
arm yourself with the same purpose.

1128
00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:52,020
Because when you suffer in the flesh, you

1129
00:46:52,020 --> 00:46:53,180
finish with sin.

1130
00:46:53,740 --> 00:46:55,160
This is the true grace of God.

1131
00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:58,380
So that, verse 2, all the rest of

1132
00:46:58,380 --> 00:47:01,000
your life on earth, you live for doing

1133
00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:01,600
God's will.

1134
00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:04,000
This is the true grace of God.

1135
00:47:04,240 --> 00:47:06,060
Is that the grace of God being preached

1136
00:47:06,060 --> 00:47:06,380
today?

1137
00:47:08,060 --> 00:47:09,720
I want to encourage all of you to

1138
00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:10,600
read 1 Peter.

1139
00:47:11,980 --> 00:47:14,620
And remember this last sentence as the heading

1140
00:47:14,620 --> 00:47:15,000
of that.

1141
00:47:15,180 --> 00:47:16,940
This is the true grace of God.

1142
00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:19,100
And as you go through 1 Peter, at

1143
00:47:19,100 --> 00:47:20,760
every sentence you say, this is the true

1144
00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:21,260
grace of God.

1145
00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:22,320
This is the true grace of God.

1146
00:47:22,380 --> 00:47:23,280
This is the true grace of God.

1147
00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:25,940
I tell you, by the time you finish

1148
00:47:25,940 --> 00:47:28,400
that letter, you'll be delivered from false grace.

1149
00:47:29,180 --> 00:47:30,340
If you're serious about it.

1150
00:47:31,380 --> 00:47:32,640
I'm serious about it.

1151
00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:36,180
I don't want to spend my earthly days

1152
00:47:36,180 --> 00:47:40,320
deceiving myself that I'm doing God's will when

1153
00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:41,000
I'm not.

1154
00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:44,180
Deceiving myself that I'm enjoying God's grace and

1155
00:47:44,180 --> 00:47:45,280
defeated by sin.

1156
00:47:46,720 --> 00:47:49,180
See, I told you, there's a reason for

1157
00:47:49,180 --> 00:47:50,120
my saying this.

1158
00:47:50,560 --> 00:47:54,140
As I've observed this church over the last

1159
00:47:54,140 --> 00:47:59,940
28 years, I've seen a number of people

1160
00:47:59,940 --> 00:48:05,100
have declined after we have become free from

1161
00:48:05,100 --> 00:48:05,700
legalism.

1162
00:48:09,060 --> 00:48:11,180
Do you know in the first 15 years,

1163
00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:15,480
a lot of people who are here almost

1164
00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:20,120
knew nothing about movies and movie stars like

1165
00:48:20,120 --> 00:48:21,500
they know in the last 5 or 6

1166
00:48:21,500 --> 00:48:21,860
years.

1167
00:48:23,670 --> 00:48:24,910
Do you think we're getting closer to God?

1168
00:48:26,030 --> 00:48:27,450
Do you really think we're getting closer to

1169
00:48:27,450 --> 00:48:27,670
God?

1170
00:48:28,870 --> 00:48:29,950
You've got to be crazy.

1171
00:48:30,050 --> 00:48:30,770
Off your head.

1172
00:48:31,390 --> 00:48:33,670
The days of legalism were better because we

1173
00:48:33,670 --> 00:48:34,550
are under no covenant.

1174
00:48:36,430 --> 00:48:37,310
We think it's freedom.

1175
00:48:38,790 --> 00:48:40,230
If you had gone and asked Jesus about

1176
00:48:40,230 --> 00:48:41,930
the movie stars or whatever type of drama

1177
00:48:41,930 --> 00:48:43,570
stars there were those days, he wouldn't know.

1178
00:48:44,950 --> 00:48:45,730
He wouldn't know.

1179
00:48:47,330 --> 00:48:48,730
He'd be out of that conversation.

1180
00:48:50,170 --> 00:48:51,870
I'm not here to judge you.

1181
00:48:52,290 --> 00:48:53,630
God's not given me that responsibility.

1182
00:48:54,210 --> 00:48:55,890
All I say is don't fool yourself.

1183
00:48:57,450 --> 00:48:59,790
Ask yourself whether the law has really been

1184
00:48:59,790 --> 00:49:01,410
your school teacher to lead you to Christ

1185
00:49:01,410 --> 00:49:05,090
or you've jumped out of legalism into something

1186
00:49:05,090 --> 00:49:07,230
else, out of the frying pan into the

1187
00:49:07,230 --> 00:49:07,510
fire.

1188
00:49:08,650 --> 00:49:10,550
God has got something better for us.

1189
00:49:11,070 --> 00:49:12,330
It's not a life of bondage.

1190
00:49:12,970 --> 00:49:14,330
My life is not bondage.

1191
00:49:14,950 --> 00:49:17,670
I'm completely free from the fear of men.

1192
00:49:18,510 --> 00:49:20,210
I don't live in fear that God will

1193
00:49:20,210 --> 00:49:20,590
judge me.

1194
00:49:20,690 --> 00:49:24,050
I have zero discouragement, zero getting offended and

1195
00:49:24,050 --> 00:49:25,530
zero condemnation of myself.

1196
00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:29,940
That is a new covenant life.

1197
00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:31,240
We don't condemn ourselves.

1198
00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:33,720
I'm not saying I never slip up and

1199
00:49:33,720 --> 00:49:33,960
fall.

1200
00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:35,920
I don't think anybody will be able to

1201
00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:37,040
say that until Jesus comes.

1202
00:49:37,040 --> 00:49:40,620
But there's a reverent fear.

1203
00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:43,240
The closer I get to God, the more

1204
00:49:43,240 --> 00:49:44,940
I reverently fear.

1205
00:49:45,060 --> 00:49:46,900
The more I'm free from the spirit of

1206
00:49:46,900 --> 00:49:48,960
the world and the spirit of the love

1207
00:49:48,960 --> 00:49:51,780
of money by which the devil controls this

1208
00:49:51,780 --> 00:49:54,300
world, the spirit of the entertainment world, the

1209
00:49:54,300 --> 00:49:56,760
spirit of this world which is seeking to

1210
00:49:56,760 --> 00:49:59,820
dilute the effectiveness of Christians.

1211
00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:02,880
A lot of Christian preaching today is human

1212
00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:03,520
psychology.

1213
00:50:04,660 --> 00:50:05,860
Get people to feel nice.

1214
00:50:07,240 --> 00:50:08,360
I don't want to get you to feel

1215
00:50:08,360 --> 00:50:09,580
nice if you're living in sin.

1216
00:50:11,740 --> 00:50:15,580
Paul spoke once to the Corinthians and said

1217
00:50:15,580 --> 00:50:19,260
a phrase which has come to my mind.

1218
00:50:20,720 --> 00:50:27,120
1 Corinthians chapter 5.

1219
00:50:29,460 --> 00:50:32,800
He's speaking to a Christian church which is

1220
00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:34,260
supposed to be in the new covenant, but

1221
00:50:34,260 --> 00:50:35,900
I don't think the Corinthians were in the

1222
00:50:35,900 --> 00:50:36,860
new covenant at all.

1223
00:50:37,760 --> 00:50:39,980
They had moved out of old covenant to

1224
00:50:39,980 --> 00:50:40,580
no covenant.

1225
00:50:41,880 --> 00:50:43,120
And what was the result?

1226
00:50:43,660 --> 00:50:45,660
There were all types of things in their

1227
00:50:45,660 --> 00:50:48,900
midst which did not happen in Old Testament

1228
00:50:48,900 --> 00:50:51,980
times except like when Israel was worshipping the

1229
00:50:51,980 --> 00:50:52,880
golden calf.

1230
00:50:53,740 --> 00:50:54,960
All those things happened.

1231
00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:57,440
But when they had a God-fearing king

1232
00:50:57,440 --> 00:50:59,380
and a God-fearing prophet in their midst,

1233
00:50:59,940 --> 00:51:02,020
Israel never did those things that the Corinthian

1234
00:51:02,020 --> 00:51:04,680
Christians were doing, talking about the grace of

1235
00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:05,000
God.

1236
00:51:05,640 --> 00:51:09,560
He said, it's actually reported that there is

1237
00:51:09,560 --> 00:51:11,080
immorality among you.

1238
00:51:11,780 --> 00:51:12,860
And this is the phrase I want you

1239
00:51:12,860 --> 00:51:13,320
to notice.

1240
00:51:14,280 --> 00:51:17,960
Immorality of such a kind as does not

1241
00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:20,800
exist even among the heathen.

1242
00:51:21,340 --> 00:51:22,820
Think of that phrase.

1243
00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:26,740
Immorality of a kind that does not exist

1244
00:51:26,740 --> 00:51:28,240
even among the heathen.

1245
00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:31,400
Immorality of a kind that does not exist

1246
00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:32,540
even among the heathen.

1247
00:51:34,850 --> 00:51:35,810
Not all heathen.

1248
00:51:35,910 --> 00:51:38,550
I'm sure there were debaucherous wicked heathen people

1249
00:51:38,550 --> 00:51:39,610
even in those days.

1250
00:51:39,610 --> 00:51:42,870
But what he's saying is, among some decent

1251
00:51:42,870 --> 00:51:49,850
heathen people, decent unconverted godless atheists, don't do

1252
00:51:49,850 --> 00:51:51,750
some of the things you Corinthians are doing.

1253
00:51:52,590 --> 00:51:54,630
What type of grace are you fellows in?

1254
00:51:55,430 --> 00:51:56,870
That's what Paul told the Corinthians.

1255
00:51:59,660 --> 00:52:02,920
And he said, the little leaven will leaven

1256
00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:04,500
the whole lump.

1257
00:52:04,560 --> 00:52:06,340
He goes on further to say in verse

1258
00:52:06,340 --> 00:52:08,040
6, Don't you know?

1259
00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:11,160
You're boasting about all your justification and grace

1260
00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:11,880
is not good.

1261
00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:15,680
Don't you know that a little leaven will

1262
00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:17,000
leaven the whole lump?

1263
00:52:17,660 --> 00:52:18,920
How much leaven do you need to put

1264
00:52:18,920 --> 00:52:23,520
in a big size dough from which you

1265
00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:24,060
want to make bread?

1266
00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:24,580
Very little.

1267
00:52:24,920 --> 00:52:27,040
The whole thing blows up in the oven.

1268
00:52:28,660 --> 00:52:29,700
You don't need much.

1269
00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:30,920
And sin is like that.

1270
00:52:31,140 --> 00:52:32,660
You tolerate a little bit of sin in

1271
00:52:32,660 --> 00:52:34,880
your life, a little bit of worldliness, and

1272
00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:37,720
say under the guise of freedom, I'm free

1273
00:52:37,720 --> 00:52:39,040
from the law and I'm sick and tired

1274
00:52:39,040 --> 00:52:39,940
of this legalistic life.

1275
00:52:40,020 --> 00:52:41,160
I'll tell you, I'm sick and tired of

1276
00:52:41,160 --> 00:52:42,100
the legalistic life too.

1277
00:52:42,980 --> 00:52:43,940
But I don't want to jump out of

1278
00:52:43,940 --> 00:52:44,620
that into the fire.

1279
00:52:44,720 --> 00:52:45,720
I want to jump out of that into

1280
00:52:45,720 --> 00:52:46,300
the new covenant.

1281
00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:50,340
That is where the devil trips us up.

1282
00:52:51,360 --> 00:52:55,620
A false freedom where we think of God's

1283
00:52:55,620 --> 00:52:57,460
love, God's love, God's love, God's love, and

1284
00:52:57,460 --> 00:53:00,440
you go through a whole year without ever

1285
00:53:00,440 --> 00:53:02,440
hearing about the fear of God.

1286
00:53:04,860 --> 00:53:05,980
Reverence of God.

1287
00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:07,440
It says we got to offer to God

1288
00:53:07,440 --> 00:53:09,860
a service with reverence and awe.

1289
00:53:12,160 --> 00:53:15,400
I've been amazed at, you know, the Apostle

1290
00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:15,800
John.

1291
00:53:18,370 --> 00:53:19,930
There was a man who had walked with

1292
00:53:19,930 --> 00:53:21,450
God for 65 years.

1293
00:53:24,300 --> 00:53:25,340
I want to ask you a question.

1294
00:53:25,480 --> 00:53:26,780
How many of you believe that you are

1295
00:53:26,780 --> 00:53:28,400
more spiritual than the Apostle John?

1296
00:53:29,220 --> 00:53:31,460
Oh, there's nobody here so crazy to think

1297
00:53:31,460 --> 00:53:31,760
that.

1298
00:53:32,720 --> 00:53:35,520
Man, 95 years old, walked with God, suffered

1299
00:53:35,520 --> 00:53:36,180
for Jesus.

1300
00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:38,960
We're not holier than him, right?

1301
00:53:41,630 --> 00:53:43,290
How many of you would worship an angel?

1302
00:53:45,630 --> 00:53:46,990
Anybody here who would worship an angel?

1303
00:53:51,790 --> 00:53:54,130
And if you by mistake did worship an

1304
00:53:54,130 --> 00:53:57,570
angel, and you're corrected, hey, don't worship me.

1305
00:53:59,190 --> 00:54:00,790
Half an hour later, would you make the

1306
00:54:00,790 --> 00:54:02,990
same mistake again, worshiping an angel again?

1307
00:54:05,180 --> 00:54:06,500
You know that John did that?

1308
00:54:08,700 --> 00:54:10,480
He worshiped an angel and half an hour

1309
00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:11,360
later, he did it again.

1310
00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:15,860
Does that mean you're more spiritual than John?

1311
00:54:18,040 --> 00:54:19,480
I'll tell you why he did it.

1312
00:54:20,220 --> 00:54:20,860
It was a mistake.

1313
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:22,380
I don't believe worship to angels.

1314
00:54:22,920 --> 00:54:26,100
But the man has such a reverent awe

1315
00:54:26,100 --> 00:54:29,720
of God, which many of us don't have.

1316
00:54:30,780 --> 00:54:33,060
He was so taken up with it, he

1317
00:54:33,060 --> 00:54:34,780
forgot himself and he worshiped.

1318
00:54:36,220 --> 00:54:38,340
We who are so casual, who slap Jesus

1319
00:54:38,340 --> 00:54:40,460
on the back and say, hi, you're my

1320
00:54:40,460 --> 00:54:42,260
friend, we won't do that, will we?

1321
00:54:42,380 --> 00:54:44,080
We probably won't even bow down before Jesus.

1322
00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:45,380
We'll just put our arm around him and

1323
00:54:45,380 --> 00:54:45,800
say, hi.

1324
00:54:47,700 --> 00:54:48,460
That's the trouble.

1325
00:54:49,020 --> 00:54:49,740
John was different.

1326
00:54:52,230 --> 00:54:55,710
We got so friendly with Jesus that we've

1327
00:54:55,710 --> 00:54:57,050
lost our reverence for him.

1328
00:54:58,350 --> 00:54:59,210
I fear that's happening.

1329
00:54:59,330 --> 00:55:00,970
I thank God it's not true of everybody.

1330
00:55:01,850 --> 00:55:03,850
And as I say, this does not apply

1331
00:55:03,850 --> 00:55:04,370
to everyone.

1332
00:55:05,850 --> 00:55:10,090
But if your life has got, in the

1333
00:55:10,090 --> 00:55:13,230
past few years, sin of a kind which

1334
00:55:13,230 --> 00:55:15,990
is not even mentioned among decent, heathen people,

1335
00:55:16,770 --> 00:55:19,510
I'd say to you, better wake up.

1336
00:55:21,090 --> 00:55:22,970
Don't just be fooled with all this justification

1337
00:55:22,970 --> 00:55:23,710
theology.

1338
00:55:24,850 --> 00:55:26,790
It's true, but it may not apply to

1339
00:55:26,790 --> 00:55:26,950
you.

1340
00:55:31,030 --> 00:55:32,630
I'm just trying to save you from deception.

1341
00:55:33,070 --> 00:55:34,630
I'm just trying to save you from surprises

1342
00:55:34,630 --> 00:55:35,970
at the judgment seat of Christ.

1343
00:55:36,570 --> 00:55:37,850
I want you to be ready for that.

1344
00:55:39,190 --> 00:55:41,030
I want you to understand repentance.

1345
00:55:42,210 --> 00:55:45,290
I remember in the early days, many people

1346
00:55:45,290 --> 00:55:48,350
who came to CFC would say, Brother Zach,

1347
00:55:48,470 --> 00:55:50,470
we never knew what repentance was till we

1348
00:55:50,470 --> 00:55:51,250
came to this church.

1349
00:55:52,010 --> 00:55:53,870
We never knew what sin was till we

1350
00:55:53,870 --> 00:55:54,430
came here.

1351
00:55:59,310 --> 00:56:00,210
Still saying that.

1352
00:56:01,590 --> 00:56:04,910
I hope there's, of course, we also speak

1353
00:56:04,910 --> 00:56:06,610
about God's love, but it's a love which

1354
00:56:06,610 --> 00:56:09,830
passionately desires holiness in our life.

1355
00:56:10,390 --> 00:56:13,630
See, perfect holiness is like perfect health.

1356
00:56:15,430 --> 00:56:18,190
Any father wants his child to be perfectly

1357
00:56:18,190 --> 00:56:19,790
healthy, not 90% healthy.

1358
00:56:20,450 --> 00:56:22,150
I didn't want any of my children to

1359
00:56:22,150 --> 00:56:23,050
be 90% healthy.

1360
00:56:23,290 --> 00:56:25,230
And if you're a good father, you want

1361
00:56:25,230 --> 00:56:26,270
perfect health.

1362
00:56:27,190 --> 00:56:29,770
That's what God desires for every one of

1363
00:56:29,770 --> 00:56:30,110
us.

1364
00:56:30,210 --> 00:56:32,890
He wants us to be 100% free

1365
00:56:32,890 --> 00:56:35,690
from the love of money, 100% free

1366
00:56:35,690 --> 00:56:42,930
from bitterness, jealousy, strife, pride, arrogance, hypocrisy, insincerity,

1367
00:56:43,250 --> 00:56:45,610
100% free from every one of these

1368
00:56:45,610 --> 00:56:47,370
things, not from most of these things.

1369
00:56:47,990 --> 00:56:49,210
I don't want my children to be free

1370
00:56:49,210 --> 00:56:50,390
from most diseases.

1371
00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:54,440
Look at holiness like health.

1372
00:56:56,680 --> 00:56:57,720
And there are laws of health.

1373
00:56:58,180 --> 00:56:58,700
You know that.

1374
00:57:00,300 --> 00:57:02,020
You can't eat what you like and be

1375
00:57:02,020 --> 00:57:02,340
healthy.

1376
00:57:03,380 --> 00:57:05,420
You can't drink any type of water and

1377
00:57:05,420 --> 00:57:06,080
be healthy.

1378
00:57:06,640 --> 00:57:08,300
Why are we careful with filtered water?

1379
00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:09,840
It's a law of health.

1380
00:57:12,600 --> 00:57:15,380
You can't live in any sloppy old way

1381
00:57:15,380 --> 00:57:17,400
without any exercise and expect to be strong

1382
00:57:17,400 --> 00:57:17,840
and healthy.

1383
00:57:17,960 --> 00:57:18,160
No.

1384
00:57:19,660 --> 00:57:21,520
And there are laws of holiness too.

1385
00:57:22,120 --> 00:57:23,640
We can't just live as we like and

1386
00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:24,440
say, oh, I'm justified.

1387
00:57:24,860 --> 00:57:26,300
Maybe you're justified, but you're not holy.

1388
00:57:28,300 --> 00:57:30,220
And that's a great tragedy in our day.

1389
00:57:32,050 --> 00:57:36,150
If we proclaim holiness, I believe the light

1390
00:57:36,150 --> 00:57:38,270
of God should be shining brighter in our

1391
00:57:38,270 --> 00:57:39,970
midst than in any other place.

1392
00:57:40,070 --> 00:57:42,250
Otherwise, we've got to just humble ourselves.

1393
00:57:42,310 --> 00:57:42,950
It's all a theory.

1394
00:57:42,950 --> 00:57:46,930
So, I believe that in this year we

1395
00:57:46,930 --> 00:57:49,930
need to seek God earnestly about some of

1396
00:57:49,930 --> 00:57:50,490
these things.

1397
00:57:51,990 --> 00:57:54,190
Think of this verse in Ephesians in chapter

1398
00:57:54,190 --> 00:57:56,750
5, verse 21.

1399
00:57:57,850 --> 00:58:01,050
Be subject to one another in the fear

1400
00:58:01,050 --> 00:58:01,810
of Christ.

1401
00:58:02,050 --> 00:58:03,190
Is there a place for that in your

1402
00:58:03,190 --> 00:58:03,570
life?

1403
00:58:04,290 --> 00:58:07,130
The fear of Christ that I have to

1404
00:58:07,130 --> 00:58:08,570
be subject to my fellow believer?

1405
00:58:09,150 --> 00:58:12,050
In the fear of Christ that I don't

1406
00:58:12,050 --> 00:58:13,890
tread on into his boundary?

1407
00:58:14,470 --> 00:58:16,090
I recognize his boundary?

1408
00:58:18,750 --> 00:58:20,610
Just like I would not interfere in another

1409
00:58:20,610 --> 00:58:22,650
person's married life or try to separate a

1410
00:58:22,650 --> 00:58:23,490
husband from his wife?

1411
00:58:24,530 --> 00:58:26,290
I want to recognize boundaries.

1412
00:58:26,470 --> 00:58:27,870
Be subject to one another.

1413
00:58:28,530 --> 00:58:30,150
That brother, even if he's younger than you,

1414
00:58:30,170 --> 00:58:30,850
has got a boundary.

1415
00:58:31,050 --> 00:58:31,670
Respect it.

1416
00:58:33,130 --> 00:58:34,070
Why do I respect it?

1417
00:58:34,090 --> 00:58:36,470
Because I fear Christ, who is the head

1418
00:58:36,470 --> 00:58:36,910
of the body.

1419
00:58:37,450 --> 00:58:38,490
The fear of Christ.

1420
00:58:38,570 --> 00:58:39,990
We think these are Old Testament verses.

1421
00:58:40,170 --> 00:58:40,410
No.

1422
00:58:41,370 --> 00:58:42,310
Ephesians 5.

1423
00:58:43,190 --> 00:58:44,430
Let me show you another verse.

1424
00:58:45,190 --> 00:58:48,470
Philippians chapter 2, verse 12.

1425
00:58:49,850 --> 00:58:53,610
My beloved, just as you have always obeyed,

1426
00:58:53,650 --> 00:58:55,250
not as in my presence only, but much

1427
00:58:55,250 --> 00:58:57,650
more in my absence, work out your salvation

1428
00:58:57,650 --> 00:59:00,890
with fear and trembling.

1429
00:59:02,050 --> 00:59:03,010
This is New Testament.

1430
00:59:03,690 --> 00:59:07,130
With fear and trembling I have to work

1431
00:59:07,130 --> 00:59:08,610
out what God works within me.

1432
00:59:09,450 --> 00:59:12,630
What God works inside me, I've got to

1433
00:59:12,630 --> 00:59:16,210
work out, not casually, but with fear and

1434
00:59:16,210 --> 00:59:16,730
trembling.

1435
00:59:17,630 --> 00:59:19,190
Another New Testament verse.

1436
00:59:19,330 --> 00:59:20,370
Hebrews chapter 4.

1437
00:59:22,510 --> 00:59:23,870
Hebrews chapter 4.

1438
00:59:24,370 --> 00:59:30,090
Therefore, let us fear, lest a promise of

1439
00:59:30,090 --> 00:59:32,290
entering God's rest has been given to us,

1440
00:59:32,890 --> 00:59:35,130
and we never make it.

1441
00:59:35,130 --> 00:59:38,410
We come short of what God wants us

1442
00:59:38,410 --> 00:59:39,770
to enter, a life of victory.

1443
00:59:39,910 --> 00:59:40,890
That's what he's speaking about.

1444
00:59:41,410 --> 00:59:42,490
You see the previous verses.

1445
00:59:42,670 --> 00:59:44,130
He's talking about people who didn't enter the

1446
00:59:44,130 --> 00:59:45,710
life of victory, but perished in the wilderness

1447
00:59:45,710 --> 00:59:46,590
for 40 years.

1448
00:59:46,670 --> 00:59:47,770
He's talking about the land of Canaan.

1449
00:59:49,190 --> 00:59:51,110
He says, let us fear that God's promised

1450
00:59:51,110 --> 00:59:54,410
a life of victory for you, and you

1451
00:59:54,410 --> 00:59:55,090
don't enter it.

1452
00:59:56,050 --> 00:59:58,170
Let us fear.

1453
00:59:58,650 --> 01:00:00,770
How many of us have a fear that

1454
01:00:00,770 --> 01:00:02,450
I might not come into this life of

1455
01:00:02,450 --> 01:00:04,150
victory that God has promised for me?

1456
01:00:05,590 --> 01:00:06,530
That's Hebrews 4.

1457
01:00:07,390 --> 01:00:09,890
Take this matter of preaching.

1458
01:00:10,110 --> 01:00:11,310
1 Corinthians chapter 2.

1459
01:00:12,890 --> 01:00:14,610
A lot of us share God's word here

1460
01:00:14,610 --> 01:00:14,970
and there.

1461
01:00:15,970 --> 01:00:17,190
Paul says how he preached.

1462
01:00:19,640 --> 01:00:22,160
He says in 1 Corinthians 2 verse 3.

1463
01:00:22,320 --> 01:00:23,620
When I came preaching to you, I was

1464
01:00:23,620 --> 01:00:27,600
with you in weakness and in fear and

1465
01:00:27,600 --> 01:00:28,240
in trembling.

1466
01:00:30,660 --> 01:00:32,180
Preaching with fear and trembling?

1467
01:00:33,100 --> 01:00:35,020
Where do we hear of that today?

1468
01:00:36,060 --> 01:00:39,400
People who preach, afraid lest they may say

1469
01:00:39,400 --> 01:00:41,100
something God doesn't want them to say.

1470
01:00:42,700 --> 01:00:45,440
Afraid lest they may just waste people's time,

1471
01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:46,360
bore people.

1472
01:00:46,780 --> 01:00:49,340
Just imagine if all the preachers, even in

1473
01:00:49,340 --> 01:00:51,820
our churches, began to preach with a little

1474
01:00:51,820 --> 01:00:53,980
more fear that I don't want to say

1475
01:00:53,980 --> 01:00:55,460
anything more than what God wants me to

1476
01:00:55,460 --> 01:00:55,660
say.

1477
01:00:56,140 --> 01:00:58,080
I'm feared that I may bore people, I

1478
01:00:58,080 --> 01:00:59,240
may waste people's time.

1479
01:00:59,240 --> 01:01:01,180
I may say something out of my head.

1480
01:01:01,300 --> 01:01:04,060
I may say something without any preparation, just

1481
01:01:04,060 --> 01:01:04,700
casually.

1482
01:01:05,560 --> 01:01:08,380
Oh God, give us that fear which Paul

1483
01:01:08,380 --> 01:01:08,740
had.

1484
01:01:10,280 --> 01:01:11,220
We've lost it.

1485
01:01:12,260 --> 01:01:13,760
We need to retrieve it.

1486
01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:17,640
There were days when we had turned the

1487
01:01:17,640 --> 01:01:20,560
steering wheel so much that we went way

1488
01:01:20,560 --> 01:01:22,340
off to one side into legalism.

1489
01:01:23,280 --> 01:01:24,780
Let me tell you my fear.

1490
01:01:25,200 --> 01:01:28,900
In correcting that, we've turned the wheel back

1491
01:01:28,900 --> 01:01:32,460
to the left and some of us anyway,

1492
01:01:32,640 --> 01:01:34,560
we've gone way off to the other side.

1493
01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:39,920
And that's why there's more sin perhaps in

1494
01:01:39,920 --> 01:01:41,700
your life today than there was 10-15

1495
01:01:41,700 --> 01:01:42,220
years ago.

1496
01:01:42,340 --> 01:01:45,320
Perhaps there's more interest and knowledge of the

1497
01:01:45,320 --> 01:01:47,780
world and the entertainment world and the money

1498
01:01:47,780 --> 01:01:50,240
world than there was 10-15 years ago.

1499
01:01:51,800 --> 01:01:53,900
If that doesn't apply to you, your life

1500
01:01:53,900 --> 01:01:55,700
has become more godly, wonderful.

1501
01:01:56,020 --> 01:01:56,900
That is true freedom.

1502
01:01:58,460 --> 01:02:00,000
So I want to encourage you to examine

1503
01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:01,360
your life as you begin the new year.

1504
01:02:06,550 --> 01:02:08,970
Did you fast more in the days of

1505
01:02:08,970 --> 01:02:11,330
legalism than now?

1506
01:02:12,350 --> 01:02:14,570
How much did you fast in 2003?

1507
01:02:15,570 --> 01:02:16,570
Do you remember how it was in the

1508
01:02:16,570 --> 01:02:18,710
early days when we were a little more

1509
01:02:18,710 --> 01:02:19,250
legalistic?

1510
01:02:21,590 --> 01:02:22,650
Jesus fasted.

1511
01:02:24,840 --> 01:02:26,020
The apostles fasted.

1512
01:02:28,660 --> 01:02:30,180
Was there more prayer in your life in

1513
01:02:30,180 --> 01:02:31,500
those days than today?

1514
01:02:32,860 --> 01:02:37,100
Was there more diligent daily reading of the

1515
01:02:37,100 --> 01:02:39,340
scriptures in those days than today?

1516
01:02:39,340 --> 01:02:46,870
Was there more judging of yourself regularly in

1517
01:02:46,870 --> 01:02:47,810
those days than today?

1518
01:02:48,430 --> 01:02:50,770
Then I'd say, those days are better.

1519
01:02:51,690 --> 01:02:55,650
Get back to those days and ask the

1520
01:02:55,650 --> 01:02:57,970
law to lead you to Christ.

1521
01:03:00,240 --> 01:03:03,080
Those days are not the best, but better

1522
01:03:03,080 --> 01:03:04,600
than no covenant, that's what I'm saying.

1523
01:03:05,220 --> 01:03:07,620
The best is when you come into the

1524
01:03:07,620 --> 01:03:10,380
glorious liberty of the sons of God.

1525
01:03:11,360 --> 01:03:12,380
For we are free.

1526
01:03:13,320 --> 01:03:15,380
Free from fear, free from seeking to please

1527
01:03:15,380 --> 01:03:18,360
men, free from rules and regulations and laws,

1528
01:03:20,600 --> 01:03:23,060
desperately desiring to please God.

1529
01:03:23,820 --> 01:03:27,360
In reverence and in awe, in our life,

1530
01:03:27,460 --> 01:03:32,140
in our words, respecting one another, honoring one

1531
01:03:32,140 --> 01:03:36,690
another, fearing lest we say something God doesn't

1532
01:03:36,690 --> 01:03:40,050
want us to say, go someplace God doesn't

1533
01:03:40,050 --> 01:03:41,030
want us to do.

1534
01:03:41,790 --> 01:03:44,750
Oh for a healthy, reverential fear of God,

1535
01:03:44,990 --> 01:03:50,280
fear that we may hurt Him with the

1536
01:03:50,280 --> 01:03:52,400
prayer, Lord point out anything in my life

1537
01:03:52,400 --> 01:03:54,520
that makes you sad.

1538
01:04:04,470 --> 01:04:08,290
There is no condemnation in any new covenant

1539
01:04:08,290 --> 01:04:08,930
message.

1540
01:04:11,580 --> 01:04:12,600
Absolutely none.

1541
01:04:13,460 --> 01:04:15,180
Condemnation is an old covenant thing.

1542
01:04:16,340 --> 01:04:18,140
There is no bondage in a new covenant

1543
01:04:18,140 --> 01:04:18,720
message.

1544
01:04:19,240 --> 01:04:21,420
A new covenant is meant to free us,

1545
01:04:22,140 --> 01:04:23,340
first of all, from sin.

1546
01:04:24,340 --> 01:04:26,020
Jesus came to save us from sin.

1547
01:04:27,120 --> 01:04:28,780
He came to deliver us from this world

1548
01:04:28,780 --> 01:04:29,260
system.

1549
01:04:30,560 --> 01:04:32,360
He came to save us from the fear

1550
01:04:32,360 --> 01:04:33,900
of men, from trying to please men.

1551
01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:35,280
He came to save us from the wretched

1552
01:04:35,280 --> 01:04:38,680
love of money that trapped millions of people

1553
01:04:38,680 --> 01:04:39,220
in the world.

1554
01:04:39,820 --> 01:04:41,240
He came to save us from all these

1555
01:04:41,240 --> 01:04:44,460
things, to make us Christ-like, to build

1556
01:04:44,460 --> 01:04:46,060
a fellowship among the godly.

1557
01:04:46,520 --> 01:04:47,620
That's what He came to do.

1558
01:04:48,800 --> 01:04:52,160
Dear brothers and sisters, pursue it with all

1559
01:04:52,160 --> 01:04:52,660
your heart.

1560
01:04:52,820 --> 01:04:55,420
Let there be such a repentance in your

1561
01:04:55,420 --> 01:04:57,760
life over past failure that will bring sorrow

1562
01:04:57,760 --> 01:05:01,200
and sin, maybe days of fasting and seeking

1563
01:05:01,200 --> 01:05:01,660
God.

1564
01:05:02,580 --> 01:05:04,360
I want to encourage you to do it.

1565
01:05:05,040 --> 01:05:06,460
I want to encourage you, if you can

1566
01:05:06,460 --> 01:05:08,160
do it, to set aside one day a

1567
01:05:08,160 --> 01:05:11,700
month to seek God in this year.

1568
01:05:12,400 --> 01:05:14,820
Or at least some hours in one day

1569
01:05:14,820 --> 01:05:16,940
a month, just to seek God and to

1570
01:05:16,940 --> 01:05:20,280
evaluate your life once every month, to see

1571
01:05:20,280 --> 01:05:23,120
where you stand, to get along with God,

1572
01:05:23,520 --> 01:05:25,720
to get out of the trap of this

1573
01:05:25,720 --> 01:05:26,560
busy world.

1574
01:05:28,340 --> 01:05:30,040
And don't let the devil just keep on

1575
01:05:30,040 --> 01:05:32,480
tormenting you saying, oh, that's legalism, that's legalism.

1576
01:05:32,480 --> 01:05:34,660
To seek God is not legalism.

1577
01:05:35,100 --> 01:05:36,920
To spend time to seek God is not

1578
01:05:36,920 --> 01:05:37,540
legalism.

1579
01:05:38,120 --> 01:05:39,820
To fast and pray to seek God is

1580
01:05:39,820 --> 01:05:41,260
100% new covenant.

1581
01:05:43,980 --> 01:05:46,320
Let's not let the devil deceive us by

1582
01:05:46,320 --> 01:05:47,520
anything we seek to do.

1583
01:05:50,380 --> 01:05:52,180
Allow him to call it legalism.

1584
01:05:52,180 --> 01:05:54,900
Dear brothers and sisters, I'm concerned.

1585
01:05:55,400 --> 01:05:57,740
I'm concerned that standards are slipping.

1586
01:05:59,320 --> 01:06:01,480
The reverential fear of God is disappearing.

1587
01:06:03,500 --> 01:06:04,680
Let's restore it.

1588
01:06:05,300 --> 01:06:07,040
Come back to the center of the road.

1589
01:06:07,240 --> 01:06:08,560
We don't want to go to the one

1590
01:06:08,560 --> 01:06:10,220
side of legalism or the other side of

1591
01:06:10,220 --> 01:06:12,320
worldliness or false liberty.

1592
01:06:13,000 --> 01:06:14,420
We want to walk right through the middle,

1593
01:06:14,600 --> 01:06:18,740
enjoying God's love day by day, rejoicing in

1594
01:06:18,740 --> 01:06:21,140
His love, rejoicing in His acceptance of us.

1595
01:06:21,140 --> 01:06:25,940
But never taking advantage, with deep respect for

1596
01:06:25,940 --> 01:06:26,920
our Heavenly Father.

1597
01:06:28,200 --> 01:06:31,720
Father in heaven, those who know you best,

1598
01:06:32,100 --> 01:06:33,240
fear you the most.

1599
01:06:34,260 --> 01:06:35,520
We want to be in that number.

1600
01:06:37,320 --> 01:06:41,540
Oh Lord, our Father, we want to be

1601
01:06:41,540 --> 01:06:42,680
holy because you're holy.

1602
01:06:43,780 --> 01:06:45,600
This year is going to be different.

1603
01:06:46,520 --> 01:06:48,520
We're going to walk in the liberty of

1604
01:06:48,520 --> 01:06:50,880
the new covenant, especially liberty from sin.

1605
01:06:51,680 --> 01:06:53,500
Help us, we pray, to seek you with

1606
01:06:53,500 --> 01:06:55,400
all of our hearts because you're a rewarder,

1607
01:06:56,040 --> 01:06:57,420
those who diligently seek you.

1608
01:06:58,300 --> 01:07:00,020
We can't do it, but we know by

1609
01:07:00,020 --> 01:07:01,780
the power of your Holy Spirit, as you

1610
01:07:01,780 --> 01:07:03,720
write your laws upon our heart and mind,

1611
01:07:04,520 --> 01:07:05,980
we can live this life.

1612
01:07:06,340 --> 01:07:09,260
Jesus died that we might live this life.

1613
01:07:09,840 --> 01:07:11,840
We don't want to frustrate the grace of

1614
01:07:11,840 --> 01:07:14,340
God in our lives.

1615
01:07:14,340 --> 01:07:15,680
Thank you Father and Jesus.