Participants: Chris Shelton (Host), Kenny Shelton
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000081A
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00:42 Hello, and welcome to Behold the Lamb presents.
00:44 I'm Chris Shelton, your host 00:46 and what a blessing to have this hour to spend with you 00:50 and study today. 00:51 Today's message is entitled 00:54 "Why Some Will Never Come to Christ." 00:57 The title alone is intriguing to a Christian believer. 01:01 We have such an overwhelming burden for others to see 01:05 and feel and experience the love for Christ 01:08 and for the truth of His word just as we do. 01:11 Christ addressed this very issue 01:13 and it is recorded in the Book of Luke Chapter 16 01:17 and concluding with verse 21, where it reads, 01:21 "And He said unto him, 01:23 if they hear not Moses and the prophets, 01:26 neither will they be persuaded the One rose from the dead." 01:31 The One rose from the dead. 01:33 Christ is making a clear point here 01:36 that there are people in this world 01:39 that even though they were to witness 01:41 such a fantastic miracle 01:43 as someone to see is being brought back to life 01:47 before their very eyes, 01:48 they would still not believe in Him, 01:51 nor submit their hearts and their lives 01:53 in service to Him. 01:55 As impossible as this may seem, 01:58 they are so deceived by the enemy's delusions 02:01 that such an unexplainable event 02:04 as this will not induce a repentive spirit within them. 02:09 How sad, how very sad this must make our Savior, 02:13 how heart breaking it is to those of us 02:16 who are praying for the salvation of others. 02:19 But perhaps today, 02:21 today in our study together with Pastor Kenny Shelton, 02:25 we will gain a better idea 02:27 as to why their hearts are so hardened to the truth. 02:31 But first, as always, 02:33 we are blessed to listen to a song 02:35 that is entitled, "Were It Not For Grace." 02:38 Has sung by Sandra Enterman 02:40 and brought to us from the 3ABN Worship Center. 03:03 Time measured out my days 03:10 Life carried me along 03:18 In my soul I yearned 03:21 To follow God 03:25 But knew I'd never be so strong 03:31 I looked hard at this world 03:36 To learn how Heaven 03:39 Could be gained 03:44 Just to end where I began 03:48 Where human effort 03:52 Is all in vain 03:58 Were it not for grace 04:05 I can tell you 04:07 Where I'd be 04:11 Wandering down 04:13 Some pointless road to nowhere 04:18 With my salvation up to me 04:24 I know how that would go 04:30 The battles I would face 04:37 Forever running 04:40 But losing the race 04:44 Were it not 04:46 For grace 04:54 So here is all my praise 05:01 Expressed with all my heart 05:08 Offered to the Friend 05:11 Who took my place 05:15 And ran a course 05:17 I could not start 05:21 And when He saw in full 05:25 Just how much 05:27 His love would cost 05:33 He still went the final mile 05:37 Between me and Heaven 05:40 So I would not be lost 05:47 Were it not for grace 05:54 I can tell you 05:56 Where I'd be wandering down 06:02 Some pointless road to nowhere 06:07 With my salvation up to me 06:12 I know how that would go 06:18 The battles I would face 06:25 Forever running but losing the race 06:31 Were it not for grace 06:38 Were it not for grace 06:44 I can tell you where I'd be 06:50 Wandering down 06:52 That pointless road to nowhere 06:56 With my salvation up to me 07:02 I know how that would go 07:08 The battles I would face 07:14 Forever running 07:17 But losing the race 07:21 Were it not for grace 07:28 Forever running 07:32 But losing the race 07:37 Were it not 07:41 For grace 07:58 Thanks for joining us 07:59 once again here at Behold the Lamb. 08:00 We're very grateful and thankful 08:02 that you choose to have some Bible study with us 08:05 each and everyday. 08:07 We're thankful for those of you who have been writing in, 08:09 you're sending cards and letters 08:11 and questions and prayer requests, 08:13 for we appreciate each and everyone 08:15 and certainly your support of this ministry. 08:18 We love to hear the truth, don't we? 08:20 We believe in the truth. 08:21 And so I know many of you have such a belief 08:23 that you're willing to support that truth 08:25 and we thank you for that. 08:27 Now today, we want you to make sure 08:29 you get that pencil and paper. 08:30 We'll move rather quickly because of our time. 08:33 And as I always say, 08:34 I want you to check the pre-show. 08:35 I want to make sure what you're hearing 08:37 is the truth, 08:38 realizing we would just touch on little areas of this subject 08:42 and you can study a whole lot deeper 08:44 when you sat down between you and the Lord, 08:46 the Holy Spirit 08:47 and you can come to a real finalization 08:49 of this message. 08:50 The message for today, 08:52 "Why Some Will Never Come to Christ." 08:56 Oh, that's just such a sad thought. 08:58 I don't want you to be sad today, 08:59 I want you to be happy in Jesus. 09:01 But I want us to look at this study, 09:03 you know, from the eyes of heaven. 09:05 I want us to see why there are many 09:06 that will never come to Christ. 09:08 But before we do, we always want to pray. 09:10 So I'm gonna invite you to pray with me 09:13 and again, I always say, where you can at home, 09:15 and I've had people that write letters and say 09:17 "When you kneel, we kneel with you. 09:19 When you pray, we pray." 09:21 There'll be many who maybe, 09:22 would be listening going down the road, 09:23 be in the attitude of prayer 09:25 because we need the power of the Holy Spirit. 09:27 Shall we pray together. 09:30 Merciful, oh, God in heaven, 09:32 we thank You again for Your love today. 09:33 We thank You for the promise 09:35 that You would send the Holy Spirit. 09:37 Oh, how desperately we need the spirit of the Living God. 09:40 How our hearts and our minds 09:41 need to be put in the heavenward channel 09:44 that we may hear Your sweet voice today. 09:46 Forgive us of any sin, 09:48 cleanse us we pray from all unrighteousness. 09:50 May we hear and then may we respond 09:53 to Your voice to day 09:54 and for every person, every person who hears, 09:57 every person who's listening, every person who is watching, 10:00 may they to respond to Your voice. 10:02 May this be a joyous day in Jesus 10:04 and I thank You and praise You in Jesus' name. 10:06 Amen. 10:09 Ain't that wonderful that we can pray? 10:11 Ain't that wonderful that we can ask Holy Spirit 10:13 to come in our midst 10:15 and illuminate these beautiful truths 10:16 that God has given us in His Word. 10:18 Remember to prepare us for heaven. 10:20 I think this subject will be of interest to many 10:23 because I do believe there are many people 10:25 who are fooled. 10:26 Many people repent. 10:28 Many people say "Well, I've asked for it 10:29 for forgiveness." 10:31 But you know there's a lot of things 10:32 that are involved in this 10:33 and I pray that we'll be able to cover them 10:35 for true repentance and how what God will accept. 10:39 So I pray that your stand with me today on this subject. 10:42 The passage of Scripture 10:44 that I've read it many times in my life and it always, 10:48 once again I say, it makes me sad in this sense. 10:51 And you look in the book of Isaiah. 10:53 Isaiah 8:20. 10:56 I'm going to read or hear from Scripture. 10:57 It's very short but notice. 11:00 Notice these words. 11:02 Bible says, "The harvest is past, 11:06 the summer is ended and we are not saved." 11:10 Notice those words. 11:13 "The harvest is past." 11:15 So that means there is a time of the harvest. 11:17 "The summer," time for the crop to gathering in. 11:20 "It's ended. 11:22 And we are not saved." 11:24 I'm not sure about you but I know in my heart, 11:27 this is a very sad thought. 11:29 A very sad thought 'cause I think in my own life, 11:32 I know you're thinking about yours, 11:33 I think of family and friends and children and relatives, 11:35 people we've labored, we work for that we love. 11:38 And many will realize what we're talking 11:41 about this passage of Scripture. 11:43 They had the opportunity. 11:45 That's why some will never come to Christ. 11:47 Because they must accept that opportunity 11:49 that Jesus gives them. 11:50 Many will simply not be saved 11:53 because they will not come to Christ. 11:56 I thought that kind of interesting 11:58 when you think about Jeremiah when he was writing this 12:02 that he was actually crushed in his spirit. 12:05 Because this was coming upon, 12:07 he was relating to himself to his people. 12:09 And it crushed his heart 12:10 to think that there'll be many 12:12 that would not be saved and come to him. 12:15 How sad. 12:17 But you must put yourself in that position today 12:19 and I must put myself. 12:21 There's too many who are careless 12:22 in the cause of Christ. 12:24 We don't think about anything or anybody else but ourselves. 12:27 We have to do, you know, is what the Bible tells us to do 12:30 we need to put what? 12:31 God first, others second, and ourself last. 12:34 You know, the thing that 12:36 we probably should think about today 12:37 is there's a judgment. 12:39 We know that. 12:40 And in that judgment we're talking about 12:42 the-- the lost will have a full realization 12:46 to the meaning of Calvary. 12:48 And what salvation has cost. 12:50 They will see that they have been lost. 12:54 They will see but it will be what? 12:56 Then it will be too late. 12:58 The last call has been made. 13:02 We emphasize that here at Behold the Lamb. 13:04 I want you to emphasize wherever you're at, 13:06 talking to people who are in the church. 13:08 That some time when we're having a meeting 13:10 it could be the very last call that the heaven is making 13:14 to get you into the fold, the very last call. 13:19 I found this over and over in Scripture as I read. 13:22 Jesus, these words to me are so sweet, 13:26 they touch my heart each time when Jesus says to me. 13:29 He says, you know, "Come and to me." 13:30 Matthew Chapter 11, if you're jotting them down, 13:33 verse 28. 13:34 "Come on to me, all ye that labor 13:36 and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 13:41 What a promise. 13:43 What a promise that God makes to us through His Spirit. 13:46 Notice, it says come. 13:48 Is anybody heavy today? 13:50 Do you feel the weight of the world, 13:51 the weight of sin? 13:53 Is there something that maybe is crushing you today? 13:55 I wonder 13:57 if you having that weight, if you're uneasy, 14:00 if you are, you know, you're just you're feeling 14:02 a heavy weight on you all the time, 14:04 Jesus says come unto me 14:05 and I'm going to lighten that load. 14:07 I thought how interesting when you look up the word heavy 14:10 in the original language. 14:12 It talks about a person. 14:13 When you're heavy under a load 14:16 that this means you're going down. 14:19 When it says, heavy, 14:20 Jesus says, I'm looking at you you're carrying this load. 14:22 If I don't help you, you are going down 14:25 that's what the word means. 14:27 That means you've come to a point 14:29 that you cannot continue to carry the load anymore. 14:32 I don't know if any of you ever picked up 14:34 or do a little weights or whatever 14:35 but you put one hundred pounds on your shoulder, 14:37 you'll find out in just a little bit, 14:38 you're walking around, you won't be able to go. 14:40 You're going to go down. 14:42 You need some help to lighten the load. 14:43 Jesus says, "York up with me," how beautiful that is. 14:46 But when He says, 14:47 "You're heavy and you're laden." 14:50 Laden means, you're loaded. 14:52 Your load is so full 14:53 you can't put anything else on it. 14:55 You think you're going to fall apart, 14:56 you think you're going to just bust. 14:58 And then you're carrying a load. 15:00 He said, "Those of you are laden, 15:01 I will give you rest." 15:03 And a beautiful part about He said I'll give you a wrist. 15:05 He said I'm going to refresh you. 15:07 There's nothing like a refreshing drink of water 15:09 when your heart, you know, you're thirsty. 15:10 Jesus said I'm going to refresh you, 15:12 I'm going to lighten that burden. 15:13 But you have to come unto to me. 15:15 Why? 15:16 Some people will never come to Christ 15:18 because they will not accept the invitation, 15:21 "Come unto me." 15:23 Are you heavy laden today? 15:24 Why not lay those burdens? 15:26 You're going to go down 15:27 if you continue try to care them yourself. 15:28 Why not give them to Him? 15:30 That'd be a good time today. 15:31 Today is going to be the day, don't you think. 15:33 You know, Jesus said, "My burden," 15:35 in that next verse there. 15:37 And verse 29. 15:38 Matthew 11. 15:39 He said, "My burden is light." I love that. 15:42 "My burden," He said is, "is light." 15:45 Now how can a person, think with me more, 15:47 how can a person 15:49 who has wandered away from God ever come back? 15:53 It's a sad thing to think about wandering away from God. 15:57 And remember when you're wandering away, 15:59 it's kind of like you're not in a rush 16:00 and you're not trying to speedily go away. 16:02 But you're just kind of wandering, 16:04 your meandering around, you're in your sleepy state. 16:06 And before you know, 16:07 you wondered so far away from Him. 16:10 You've made a lot of choices, you made a lot of decisions. 16:13 And your heart has become hardened 16:15 and you don't even realize. 16:16 You think you're just kind of wandering, 16:17 you're taking a little break 16:19 and you're going to take it easy for a while. 16:21 Think about it. How do we ever come back? 16:24 Let's put it simple today. 16:25 I'm simple minded 16:27 and maybe you like to hear things 16:28 that are simple and to the point. 16:30 If you've wandered far away from God, 16:32 there is only one way that you can come back to Him. 16:35 And we know who that is, don't we? 16:37 The Bible tells us there in Acts 4:12 16:40 that Jesus said, 16:41 and there is no other name, right, given. 16:43 It's a name of Jesus. 16:44 So somehow, someway 16:46 we're going to by the grace of God 16:48 call on the name of Jesus. 16:50 And you say, yeah, but what do I-- I call on his name. 16:53 First thing is what? 16:54 We call on the name of Jesus. 16:55 And we do what? 16:57 We are convicted as the Spirit speaks to us. 17:00 And there's this word called repentance. 17:03 Do you member on the day of Pentecost? 17:05 Oh, I tell you, when the Holy Spirit 17:06 was just ascending upon people 17:08 and bringing conviction upon them 17:10 and they felt the need to change their life 17:13 Acts 3:37, jot that down and look 17:17 because it's interesting, 17:18 because when the conviction came, 17:20 people did know what to do. 17:22 They didn't know which way to turn. 17:23 And they said. "What shall we do?" 17:26 Do you remember that? "What shall we do?" 17:27 You know, what I think about this, 17:29 my Brothers and Sisters, 17:30 how long has it been since you said what, 17:32 what shall we do? 17:34 How long has it been since you, 17:35 oh, since you cared enough to say, "What shall we do?' 17:40 Our problem many a time, 17:42 we think we have all the answers. 17:44 And we don't really need any help. 17:46 But when conviction comes 17:48 that change needs to take place, 17:50 the first words that came out at Pentecost, 17:52 the people were began to say, "What shall we do? 17:55 What shall we do?" 17:56 And you know what, Peter was there. 17:58 You know, what his first word 17:59 that came out of his mouth quickly, 18:01 He didn't have to say, let's see now 18:02 what should we do. 18:04 First words out of his mouth was, "Repent." 18:08 Read that in Acts 2:38 "Repent." 18:11 And he says, "For the remission of your sins." 18:13 This is the only thing that separates us from God. 18:16 This is what separates you from being happy in Jesus. 18:19 This is thing that separate. 18:20 There's so much misery and problems 18:22 in the world today. 18:23 Because sin has separated us and God is calling us back. 18:27 Remember he calls. 18:28 "Come unto me, Come unto to me." 18:30 He sends the Holy Spirit. 18:31 Holy Spirit is always working on us, 18:33 bringing conviction, right, 18:34 challenging in us to come to Him. 18:37 He wants to take those sins away. 18:40 And what must I do, 18:41 it's is what must I do to be saved. 18:43 It starts at "Repent for the remission of sin." 18:47 And of course, you remember. 18:48 Let's give an illustration. 18:50 John the Baptist in Matthew 3:1 and 2. 18:54 Let me just read that if you will, 18:55 and jot it down, Matthew 3:1 and 2. 18:58 The Bible said. 19:00 "In those days came John the Baptist." 19:01 Do you remember? 19:03 "Came John the Baptist, 19:04 preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 19:06 and saying," verse 2, 19:07 he says "Repent," notice, 19:09 "ye, for the kingdom of," what? 19:11 "Of heaven is at hand." 19:13 He wasn't talking about the second coming of Jesus. 19:16 He was talking about the first coming of Jesus. 19:19 Jesus was going to establish something here 19:21 that those who believed in Him 19:23 could become by the grace of God, 19:25 sons and daughters of God. 19:28 That applies to you today. 19:29 That applies to me. 19:31 By the grace of God 19:32 we can become sons and daughters of God. 19:36 How wonderful. 19:38 You say your life is miserable. 19:40 Then you're in misery, 19:41 you're doing all the wrong things. 19:43 That's why Jesus says, "Come on to me," 19:45 and what" "you can be my son, you can be my daughter." 19:48 He treats you like royalty. 19:50 Your life will be easier. 19:52 You won't be getting in all the messes 19:53 that we seem to sometime get into, 19:55 when we think we're big enough 19:56 to make our own choices and our own decisions. 20:00 Interesting, I love the-- I love the Prophet Isaiah. 20:03 Oh, I'm telling you, he just really lays it down 20:05 and I, some of you who, we spent some time together, 20:09 I like to just lay it down 20:10 and then let the Holy Spirit help you 20:12 me to decide what we need to do. 20:14 Isaiah, have your Bible, jot down Isaiah 55:6-9. 20:19 Here's is so exciting to me 20:21 that regardless of who we are, what we've done, 20:24 God still extends an invitation. 20:26 Remember while the door is still open. 20:29 The day the doors open, invitation is extended. 20:33 Isaiah talks about it and he extends two things 20:36 that I want you to grasp today 20:38 that we desperately have to have 20:40 is grace and mercy. 20:43 He extends these to you and to me today. 20:46 I want to think about that just-- just for a second. 20:49 You know, 2 Corinthians 6:2 20:52 simply says, you know, today is the day. 20:55 So we don't put it off 20:56 and worry about tomorrow, the next week. 20:57 Today is the day that we seek him. 21:01 Now notice how Isaiah said it. 21:02 That's the first word that he uses. 21:04 He says. 21:05 "Seek ye," what? Good. 21:08 "Seek ye the Lord while He may be," what? 21:11 Found. 21:12 So notice the word, we seek, while He can still be found 21:15 because the time is coming 21:16 when your not be able to find Him any more. 21:18 It's gonna be too late. 21:19 The harvest is past, do you remember? 21:22 And the second, notice what he says, 21:24 he says, "Call ye upon him, while, while He is near." 21:30 So while he's near, while he is close, 21:32 while he's working upon you, call upon him. 21:34 Don't get far away from Jesus. 21:36 Stay close to Him. 21:38 Seek Him while He may be found. 21:40 This is right here, 21:41 "Call upon Him while he is near." 21:45 My Bible tells me, 21:46 you can read this in the Book of Psalms 46:1. 21:50 It says that we are, "He is a very present help." 21:55 So you notice in the seeking and the calling, 21:58 He's a very present help. 22:00 That means He's right there. 22:01 When you need in the most, He's right there for you. 22:03 He's right there for me. 22:06 Verse 7 says this. 22:08 Isaiah 55, we read 6. now 7. 22:10 Notice this. 22:12 "Let the wicked forsake," What? "His way. 22:15 And the unrighteous now his, what? 22:17 His thought. 22:19 "Let the wicked." 22:20 Did you notice the call is given to the unrighteous 22:22 and to the wicked to come? 22:24 And when I read the book of Acts 3:19, 22:27 the Bible is very, very clear. 22:30 Because it simply starts out once again, 22:32 "Repent and be converted." 22:35 Jesus ask you and me every day of our life 22:37 to repent and be converted or be changed. 22:40 We're going to talk more about that conversion. 22:42 Many people do not, they do not know 22:44 whether they've been converted or not. 22:45 They don't know. They can't. 22:47 They say, well, there's no, there really not a gauge, 22:49 I really don't know. 22:50 Oh, the Bible is clear. 22:52 Spirit of Prophecy is clear 22:53 about whether you've been converted or not. 22:55 And I pray we have time 22:57 to get into some of those saying 22:58 because it's so, so, so important. 23:00 Bible says he's talking to you, what? 23:02 The unrighteous and he's talking to return. 23:05 Notice what He says here, the unrighteous 23:07 and He's talked about the man and his thoughts. 23:09 We need to give our mind of Christ 23:11 because they need to be His thoughts and not ours. 23:13 "Let him return unto the Lord," the Bible says, 23:16 and He will have mercy upon him. 23:19 You think God's not going to give you mercy. 23:21 Oh, my Brothers and my Sisters, 23:23 the Bible says, the Bible says 23:24 "You return to Him and God's gonna show you mercy. 23:27 Notice this. 23:29 For He will abundantly pardon." 23:31 Notice that word, He will abundantly pardon. 23:35 It helps us to understand 23:36 when you say, well, abundantly. 23:37 It's a full pardon that He gives you, 23:40 completely full. 23:42 It's a continued pardon. 23:44 It's an exceedingly helpful, 23:47 when we talk about in our relationship with Christ, 23:49 it goes above and beyond abundantly. 23:52 It's heaped over. 23:53 Did you notice that? 23:55 It's plenteous. 23:56 It's everything we need when God says, 23:58 "I will abundantly pardon 23:59 or I will abundantly forgive you. 24:01 I will," notice the word, "I will abundantly spare you." 24:06 Are we really worthy to be spared or we're not. 24:08 But because Jesus had died for us 24:10 we've become worthy because of Jesus Christ. 24:13 He said you are worthy. Praise God for that. 24:14 Verse 8. 24:16 He said, Jesus said, no, God said, 24:17 "My thoughts are not your thoughts. 24:20 Neither are your ways my ways. 24:24 Is it interesting 24:25 when a statement like this is made 24:27 that, what do you mean? 24:28 God's not thinking the way that we think? 24:30 Praise God that He's not. 24:32 Somebody needs to listen up to me. 24:34 Because man, man thinks about me, my eye, my time. 24:39 And it's interesting. 24:40 My time, I've got to do what I got to do down here. 24:42 God is thinking about time, 24:44 But he's thinking about eternity. 24:46 Aren't you glad? 24:47 Man's thinking about time right now. 24:49 God's thinking about where you're going to spend eternity. 24:51 I am thankful. 24:54 Man is selfish. 24:56 See I'm glad that God doesn't think the way we are 24:58 cause we are selfish and self-centered 25:00 and what does God do? 25:02 God is always thoughtful and mindful 25:04 of His creation and His creatures. 25:06 How different in our thoughts, think about that. 25:10 We think about mankind here. 25:11 You know, we get-- we talk about 25:13 he's-- everything we can get this world. 25:16 You have no people, 25:17 I'm just gonna get all I can in this, in this life. 25:19 Think about the difference in the way man thinks. 25:21 I'm going to get what I can out of this. 25:23 And what does God say? 25:24 I'm going to give everything that I can for mankind. 25:28 Totally the opposite. 25:30 Praise God that we serve the one 25:31 who thinks differently than we do. 25:34 But we need to be thinking like Him, don't we? 25:37 You see, what assurance. 25:38 When I read this scripture, I get an assurance. 25:41 I get-- I read them and I say, "Oh, praise God. 25:44 This helps me to understand 25:46 God's willingness to receive me. 25:48 Think about it or to receive the repenting sinner. 25:52 So yes, there's a work for it, we need to repent. 25:54 We come to Him. 25:55 The Holy Spirit is working upon us. 25:57 Now remember, regardless of how far away that we have 26:01 made, some of us have run away, some have walked away, 26:04 some has meandered away, 26:05 some are just kind of died away, 26:06 some of wandered. 26:08 But regardless, God says, "I want you back." 26:10 That's beautiful. 26:12 Interesting note. 26:15 While a person, 26:17 you may found this to be true in your own life. 26:20 I can relate somewhat and I've talked to many people 26:22 who is at-- when they first begin to wander away from God, 26:26 it seems like, uh, things are better. 26:29 Things are better. 26:30 Things are going a little bit better for me now. 26:33 It seems like now because there are no restrictions 26:37 as it were, that I've got the world by the tail. 26:40 But the-- what? 26:42 You have the world by the tail 26:43 or tail around the world have you. 26:47 And so we begin to think differently 26:49 as we separate from God. 26:51 And the reason the person feels this way is 26:53 because I'm doing what I want to do. 26:57 Ain't that interesting. 26:58 Once again it goes back to the original, 27:00 goes back to the beginning. 27:02 I'm doing what I want to do. 27:03 So we think that we've got the world 27:05 and everything is going our way. 27:06 But I tell you this, my Brothers and Sisters 27:08 and many of you will find it out, 27:09 all of us will find out, but in time. 27:12 All of this, I think, I like, 27:14 I wanted to do begins to unravel. 27:17 It begins to fall apart. 27:19 God give us time. 27:21 He gives time for things to work out 27:23 as He's calling and calling. 27:25 His judgment doesn't fall immediately. 27:27 And you think because you've escaped for a year 27:29 or two years or five years, that it's not going to happen. 27:32 Listen God doesn't work on a timetable like we do. 27:35 God is still seeking 27:36 and He works until there is no opportunity 27:38 for you to ever come back till your heart is so hardened. 27:41 But although certain, maybe years later 27:43 things begin to unravel, things are exposed. 27:46 You find out that your life has completely fallen apart. 27:50 Now you don't know what to do. 27:52 Things have changed. 27:54 You've wandered away from Him. 27:56 And now things have changed, your hopes and your dreams, 27:59 they've all, they say turned to ashes. 28:01 There's no one to turn to. 28:02 All of friends that you thought you have 28:04 in the wrong places they're all gone. 28:06 Maybe cause your money's gone. 28:09 But all of a sudden you're thinking, 28:10 "What do I need to do? 28:11 I'm all alone now. 28:14 Now what?" 28:15 Listen, I tell you, my Brothers and Sisters, 28:17 if you'd just listen carefully, 28:20 you will still hear that same voice 28:25 that was calling you many months, years 28:27 or whatever might be ago. 28:29 That's same still sweet small voice, 28:32 trying to woo you back into a relationship with Him. 28:35 It's the voice that you rejected. 28:38 But now you realize that there's no other way. 28:41 We need to come back to Him. 28:42 He's still calling loud and clear. 28:47 Jot down this passage of Scripture 28:48 because I really believe that it pertains to us. 28:51 It's in the book of Micah. 28:53 Not the one, the book that's used, 28:54 you know, a lot, about a lot of people but oh, 28:56 there's some powerful things in a book of Micah. 28:58 Micah 2:10, let me read what the word of God says. 29:02 It tells us, it says talking about this wicked one. 29:04 We departed we ran here, we're there. 29:06 He says, "Arise," notice, "ye, and depart 29:10 for this is not your rest, 29:13 because it's polluted," noticed that, 29:16 "and it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. 29:21 That means a grievous destruction. 29:24 God is saying, please don't let this happen. 29:26 Please come back to me. 29:28 Depart, this is not what he wants for you. 29:31 This is not your rest. 29:33 He says He's gonna give us that rest. 29:34 He's gonna give that, you know what, refreshment. 29:36 But the enemy says, "Well, I'll give you that. 29:38 God said don't that. 29:39 It's grievous, it's sore. 29:42 There's a story told of a man one time. 29:44 He wanted to accept Jesus Christ. 29:47 He want to be a Christian. 29:48 There's a lot of people like that in the world. 29:50 And you may be one of those, 29:51 you just, you've talked and you've talked 29:53 and you've talked and you squirmed 29:55 and you attend church and you're in and you're out, 29:58 you're hot, you're cold as it were. 30:00 But you know this guy here just said you know what, 30:02 I need to make a change in my life. 30:04 He thought he came up with that. 30:05 But I tell you he did not. 30:06 The Holy Spirit was working inside of him and drawing. 30:08 But he began to think that works was kind of part of it 30:12 and he'd always heard this church members say, 30:14 "Well, if you're going to follow Jesus 30:15 you've got to give up everything." 30:17 Well, that's true, isn't it? 30:18 But notice how this man took it. 30:21 He said, "Well what I need to do 30:22 then have relationship with Christ 30:24 is I must give up everything that I have. 30:28 I must deny myself." 30:30 Well, he will seem to be on the right road 30:32 but something happened. 30:34 What did he do? Well, he gave up his houses. 30:37 He gave up his land. He gave up his business. 30:40 And yet, there was still no peace. 30:43 He could not find peace. He wanted peace. 30:46 He had had enough of the world. I need some peace. 30:49 And he gave all of these things up 30:51 and he said but up but I find no peace. 30:54 So finally, he decided I need to talk, 30:57 I to need talk to Lord about it. 31:00 Well, he gets on his knees and he said, "Lord, I've given, 31:02 I've read this, you deny yourself. 31:04 I've given all these things up but I don't have any peace. 31:07 And God said, "Yes, you have my friend. 31:08 But you haven't given me your sins." 31:12 Isn't that interesting? 31:13 God doesn't need your houses, doesn't need your land. 31:16 Really it all boils down to what? 31:17 He-- well, always say, He wants your heart. 31:19 But He wants your sins 31:21 because that's what separates you from Him. 31:23 Give Him your sins. Your life would change. 31:26 You'll be so much better off, you'll be happy, 31:27 you'll find that peace, you'll find contentment. 31:30 Praise God. 31:32 So you will have to be asking why, what do I need to do. 31:37 Salvation can return to your house 31:40 if salvation has left. 31:41 If that blood on the doorpost somehow has been sanded down, 31:45 it's gone, it doesn't exist anymore, 31:47 you can reapply afresh. 31:50 Salvation can return. 31:51 And you know why I know it can return 31:53 to someone who has completely turned their back on God. 31:56 They try to use God, they'd use their fellowman, 31:58 they try to use the church. 32:00 But God says. You can come back. 32:02 Beautiful book of Isaiah once again, 44:22. 32:06 Notice what he said, just a couple of words. 32:08 Oh, how powerful. 32:09 "Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee." 32:14 Wow. 32:15 Once again, the arms of love of Jesus are what? 32:18 They are begging to you, come. 32:21 He says right here, "Return to me, 32:23 for I have redeemed thee. 32:24 I paid a price for you. You are valuable. 32:26 I want to share eternity with you. 32:28 I know what you said. I don't know what you've done. 32:30 I know are horrible it is. 32:31 But I forgive you, come return." 32:35 Salvation, wonderful. 32:37 But let me tell you this, my Brothers and Sisters, 32:39 here's exactly what the enemy is gonna tell you. 32:42 The enemy's gonna say something like suggested you. 32:45 Well, that sounds like a pretty good move 32:47 but let's wait. 32:49 Let's wait until you know, let's not, 32:52 let's not really give our life to Christ just right now. 32:54 And let's not start going to church just yet. 32:57 Oh, yeah, later on we'll do that. 32:59 See the devil, he screwed, you know he's rough around- 33:03 But he still knows what he's saying. 33:05 He still knows what-- he's a liar 33:06 there's no doubt about it. 33:07 But he will tell you, don't be going to church, 33:09 don't really give your life to Christ, yet. 33:11 That will come in time 33:13 but let's try to get everything worked out first. 33:16 You've heard this before. 33:17 Let's make yourself better, let's make yourself right, 33:21 let's make sure that you're good enough 33:25 to come to Christ. 33:27 Make sure that you're good enough to come to God. 33:29 What does that mean? 33:33 Is there something that we-- have we missed here? 33:37 Is it really consistent with the Bible to-- 33:39 let's wait just a little while 33:41 till get all this stuff worked out or not. 33:44 So question, so, what if you wait? 33:47 So you say, "Okay, I've come to that point, 33:48 I know I need to change and I need to do this 33:50 but, but I'm going to wait just a little while 33:52 because I've got this, I've got that. 33:55 But I'm going to wait till I'm good enough 33:56 and then I will come. 33:58 The answer is simple to that question. 33:59 You will never, never come to Christ. 34:03 You will never come to Him. 34:04 If that's your thinking, 34:06 the devil will keep you in that line 34:08 for years down the road. 34:10 Well, I'm not quite yet. I'm not quite yet. 34:13 He said, "Come as you are." 34:15 Come as you are give your life to him. 34:17 You know what Satan is going to do. 34:19 When you say I want to make a change 34:20 I want to do something for Jesus. 34:23 I want to get right, I want to be used, 34:25 I want to help finish His work, I want to get my life right. 34:27 The devil points and look at you 34:29 and he said, "Joe, I tell you what, 34:30 you look at your filthy garments. 34:33 And let me tell you the garments that you have on 34:35 until you give them to Christ, they are filthy. 34:36 And they are rotten because everybody, the Bible said 34:39 "All have sinned and come short." 34:41 But you read that, haven't you, 34:42 in the Book of Zachariah Chapter 3 about Joshua? 34:46 Do you remember? 34:47 The old devil coming against Joshua. 34:49 And he said look at his-- how can you use him, 34:51 look at is filthy garments, talking about his life, 34:53 how filthy, how dirty, how sinful. 34:56 You are defiled by a sin. You're worthy of death. 35:00 That's exactly what the enemy is saying. 35:02 He's worthy of death. He's done worse than I've done. 35:06 Look what you did to me, you cast me out. 35:09 Listen, my Brothers and Sisters, 35:10 don't just try to stand toe to toe with the enemy. 35:13 You let Jesus do that. 35:15 Don't, don't try to get it on your-- 35:16 and all you need to do is by what Jesus' example 35:19 that He gave to us, is what? 35:21 The word, just simply begin to quote Scripture. 35:23 Let me just give you a couple simple ones 35:25 if it's all right. 35:26 Jot this down because, remember, 35:28 when you come to him, 35:29 the devil is going to meekly say what? 35:31 "You're not good enough. 35:32 You're gonna have to wait a while. 35:34 And you're filthy, your rotten, 35:35 you've done so many rotten things 35:37 that God will never accept you into the family." 35:39 He is a liar. Because of Bible says so. 35:42 And I'm so thankful. 35:43 The devil is a liar but God is not. 35:45 He says, "Come unto me. Call, I will answer." 35:50 So what do-- what is going on here? 35:53 What must your response be? 35:55 In the Book of New Testament John 6:37, 35:59 Just such a beautiful, beautiful statement. 36:02 I've had to draw on this many times 36:04 and I'm sure you've had to draw on it. 36:06 If you haven't, why don't you do it today. 36:08 The Bible simply says, "Him that cometh to me." 36:13 Now remember he didn't point who that-- 36:14 all the things you've done, good, bad, ugly, He didn't say. 36:17 He said, "Him that cometh to me, 36:19 I will in no wise cast out. 36:23 Why are you looking for excuses, 36:25 my Brothers and Sisters? 36:27 Why are you trying to read? 36:28 And I know that you are trying to read something 36:30 into these passages of scripture that's not there. 36:34 You're trying to say yeah, but he, 36:35 no there's no yeah, but, 36:37 if you believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God 36:39 then we have to say the Bible said, 36:41 He that cometh unto me I will in no wise," 36:43 what" "Cast out." 36:46 And certainly, if you look at Psalms 51:7. 36:50 It's beautiful. It says "purge me with hyssop." 36:53 Purge me means purify me, oh, God. 36:56 Cleanse me. "Purge me with hyssop." 36:59 You know what, hyssop out there, 37:00 what he could do with his hyssop. 37:02 Well, here the Psalmist 37:03 is symbolically using hyssop as what? 37:05 A clinching agent. 37:07 And it is kind of 37:08 I think a greenish grey little, little plant 37:10 and at the end, there's little white flowers 37:12 and its fragrance smelling and, I tell you, you smell it. 37:16 "Oh, man, that smells so good, 37:19 smell something like I think this peppermint. 37:21 And so we look, he said you know, "Come on to me." 37:24 "Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean." 37:26 The Bible said, "Wash me. 37:28 And I shall be whiter than snow." 37:32 I don't know what else Jesus would need to say 37:34 or what to do than he's already said and done 37:37 to say, just, just come on. 37:39 Come on, let me take responsibility for you. 37:42 You've wandered the street, you've laid in the gutter, 37:44 you played the prostitute, you played the harlot, 37:46 you've done everything you possibly can, 37:48 you're on drug. 37:49 But He says, "Come on. 37:50 I love you just like I love anybody else. 37:52 Come on in. I'm a clean you up." 37:55 He said here, "I'm gonna cleanse you, 37:57 I'm going to purify, I will make you white as snow. 37:59 I love that. 38:02 So what is it here? Let's look at, I think. 38:04 What you-- once again, our first step, then what? 38:07 Is we wandered from God is simply come to Jesus 38:09 is a stair step of repentance it says. 38:12 Immediately when you repent of your sins, 38:15 they arms of Jesus just wraps around you. 38:20 And think what the Bible talks about it here. 38:22 The Bible said "He hears the cry of a contrite it heart. 38:27 Have you read that, Psalms 34:18? 38:29 "The contrite soul." 38:32 I want you listen very carefully 38:33 what that really means. 38:37 I wonder if my soul is contrite. 38:40 I wonder when I repent 38:44 and I know He put His arms around me 38:46 and says he will accept me. 38:49 But he hears the cry of the contrite 38:52 When I read these words, that means in the, 38:55 in this passage of Scripture in the Old Testament, 38:58 I thought, "Wow.' 39:00 Contrite here it means, 39:02 "He hears the cry of the one," listen. 39:05 "Who has been crushed to powder." 39:09 Wow. 39:12 Have we come that far in our life 39:15 in close connection with Jesus 39:18 that we love Him that much, that what? 39:21 And we're so sorry that we've done the wrong thing, 39:23 we've been crushed. 39:25 It hurts, 'cause its sin is crushing it. 39:28 We want it out. We want to cleanse from what? 39:30 I have to be, notice this, crush to powder. 39:34 Contrite means crumbled. 39:38 You see, no longer I but Christ, 39:40 my relationship's gonna be humble. 39:41 This is the cry He said that He that he will hear. 39:45 I'm crumbled. 39:46 It means, I've been bruised, humbled. 39:50 In other words, I thought they we're just beat to pieces. 39:55 That's how our heart must feel 39:57 when we do things that we shouldn't do. 39:59 When we're really repenting and God will hear it, 40:02 and God will accept it. 40:03 We have to come to that point that is, oh, it hurts us. 40:06 We're so sorry that we did it. That we won't go back to it. 40:10 Oh, friend, is that been your response to the Savior 40:14 who's saying come unto me? 40:17 Is that the one that says come on, 40:19 our watch you make you wider than snow? 40:21 Is that really how you feel about your life 40:23 and your past sins? 40:26 See repentance, we've talked about repentance. 40:29 Repentance leads to confession. 40:34 Please think that. 40:35 And then confession to forsaking of sin, 40:40 ain't that interesting? 40:41 Shall we do that again? 40:43 What is that, when we talk about repentance leads to what? 40:45 Confession and confession leads to what? 40:48 Forsaking of sin. 40:50 Let me read just a little article, few lines, 40:53 found in the Acts the Apostle, page 324. 40:57 It starts this way. Says repentance. 40:59 "Repentance which is provided," notice 41:02 "repentance is provided by the influence of grace." 41:06 Wow, we couldn't even do it on our own. 41:09 But the grace, right, 41:10 grace of Christ power of Spirit working in 41:12 and through us when we didn't even want it. 41:14 Notice, "it's produced by the influence of grace 41:17 upon the heart." 41:19 Notice, unmerited favor, isn't that right? 41:21 Notice what it will do. 41:23 It will lead to confession and forsaking of sin. 41:27 Paul talked about this himself 41:29 when he said godly sorrow worketh what? 41:32 Repentance to salvation. 41:34 Do you remember reading that? 2 Corinthians 7:10. 41:37 Did you get that? 41:39 Godly sorrow, really being sorry 41:42 for when you say, "Oh, I'm sorry. 41:43 I repented." That means you will not return. 41:46 You will not do it again by the grace of God. 41:49 That's how you're hurt. 41:50 You've seen what it has done, you've seen what it's cost. 41:53 You don't want it anymore. 41:54 You've see what it's done to Jesus 41:56 and you don't want to do it anymore. 41:58 It's not worth it. You want to give it to Him. 42:01 So when Paul's talking about this godly sorrow, 42:05 you know what it'd do? 42:06 Godly sorrow breaks down human pride. 42:10 You see our pride sometime prevents us from saying, 42:13 I'm a sinner, I need Jesus. I'm a failure. 42:17 But he wants to make me more than that 42:18 he was made me a victor." 42:21 Why is that we can't see what He wants to do. 42:23 But when we're really sorry, well, our break, 42:26 godly sorrow breaks down the human pride. 42:29 It softens me. 42:31 When I was too hard before I say why is harder than nails. 42:34 Only the love of Jesus 42:36 and the power of the Holy Spirit 42:37 can soften us, it subdues us, it refines us 42:42 and it molds our characters. 42:45 But they can't be until there's a godly sorrow 42:48 for the life that we used to live. 42:52 Testimonies to Ministers, Page 441, 42:55 please notice this. 42:58 And I'm a believer in this. I'm a believer in this. 43:01 It says there must be a thorough conversion. 43:04 There must be what? 43:05 We're talking about a thorough conversion. 43:07 "Oh, well, I'm converted I'm converted 43:08 but I still haven't, I'm done still doing it." 43:10 There must be a thorough conversion 43:12 among those who claim to believe present truth. 43:17 If I said who believes present truth, 43:18 all the little hands would be going up and say, 43:20 "Ooh, praise God, Man. 43:21 I'm a present truth believer." 43:24 It's interesting among those who say 43:25 I believe in present truth and we should believe in 43:27 and there's a time and this is the time. 43:30 There need to be a thorough conversion among us. 43:33 Wow. And of course, everyone. 43:37 If not, notice, we'll go on, 43:39 "They will fall in the day of trial." 43:42 If there is not a thorough conversion and repentance, 43:45 forsaking of sin in the day of trial 43:48 and I tell you, my Brothers and Sisters, it will come. 43:50 You'll say it's not going to come. 43:52 You'll say you don't want to get involved. 43:54 The day of trial and test will come. 43:56 And if we're not thoroughly converted, 43:59 we will fail, we will fall in that day of trial. 44:03 God's people must reach a higher standard 44:06 than we've ever seen or heard ever before. 44:09 We must ask God to elevate us. We must take that standard. 44:12 It has been thrown down and dirty covered 44:14 and raise high for the world to see. 44:17 How do we do that? 44:20 We're encouraged to reach a higher standard. 44:23 I believe by faith we can reach that higher standard 44:26 that God has for us. 44:28 He wants us to be elevated. 44:30 He wants is a big climbing to work toward heaven. 44:32 He wants to give us that victory. 44:34 He's there for us. He's listening for our cry. 44:38 And you have a contrite heart? 44:40 Is there really crushing you because you've done something 44:42 you know you shouldn't. 44:43 And when you repent, you know you repented. 44:45 And by the grace of God You will not return. 44:47 So remember, if you've returned, 44:49 you have never had a contrite heart. 44:52 Think about it. 44:53 The enemy wants to fool you all. 44:55 Don't let him fool you. So what do we do? 44:57 We talk about-- what does the Bible say? 44:59 This is where we go back, raise a standard. 45:02 The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9. 45:05 I've always like this passage of Scripture. 45:07 The Bible says, "Ye are a chosen," what? 45:09 Good. "Generation." You're a royal priesthood. 45:13 God looks at us and I'll be nice about it. 45:16 He looks at the scum of the earth. 45:17 That's me. 45:19 And he looks at me and said, 45:20 "Well, because of Jesus Christ, you've accepted Him, 45:22 you are a royal priesthood. 45:25 Royal means kingly. 45:27 So what the Bible said we'll be? 45:29 Ooh, "kingly priesthood." 45:32 That means you're of a sacred order. 45:34 It's no longer you, but it's Christ. 45:36 Things have changed. You're elevated, right. 45:39 Breathing air of heaven. 45:41 How wonderful that is, a royal priesthood. 45:43 Notice, he says a holy nation. Did you get that? 45:46 Holy nation means exactly what it says 45:49 and for those of you just keep trying to sidestep all this, 45:52 you need to stop it. 45:53 Bless your heart. 45:54 I know you don't really mean to. 45:56 And I'm not try to be difficult with you. 45:57 But when this Bible talks about holy or blameless 46:00 or undefiled, well, it means a little something. 46:03 The Bible says just exactly what it means. 46:05 When it says here, Holy nation, it does mean pure nation. 46:09 It does mean a blameless nation. 46:11 It means a clean, it means, means innocent. 46:14 It means modest. 46:15 It means perfect in Jesus Christ. 46:18 Notice this, a peculiar people. 46:20 You are a purchased possession is what my Bible tells me. 46:24 You know what that means, purchased possession? 46:26 That means you are in a saving relationship 46:29 with Jesus Christ because of Him. 46:31 To be in a saving relationship, there is joy, there is peace, 46:34 there is contentment in the midst of the storm 46:37 that we are living in. 46:39 Oh, my Brother and Sister, I think about true repentance. 46:43 Let me just say this because I hear this a lot. 46:46 I hear this a lot. 46:47 Because remember, we've been talking about true repentance 46:50 makes no attempt to justify self. 46:55 Did somebody hear me? 46:57 True repentance never tries to justify yourself 47:02 for what decision or choice that you made. 47:06 You'll never do that. 47:07 True repentances will not do that, justify self. 47:09 If a person does you can be sure that sin-- 47:14 because they won't give it up as dead in their morally. 47:17 They can't really hear the voice of God anymore. 47:21 The person has done wrong. 47:23 But he doesn't even discern it anymore 47:25 because his heart has become hardened. 47:27 He doesn't even realize the evil 47:29 that he has committed. 47:30 He's turned the Holy Spirit off. 47:32 And I'll say this and yes, 47:34 unless the Holy Spirit of the living God 47:35 begins to come in and you will open your mind 47:37 and your heart, 47:40 so that you're not blinded to that sin, 47:43 your confession that you make is not sincere 47:46 and it is not in earnest and God will not accept that. 47:50 Notice with me, every time, 47:54 every time, that's anybody, 47:57 that's any of us who does this 47:59 that we begin to confess our guilt. 48:01 And then we make an excuse for our choice or our action. 48:07 And here's how we do. We might say. 48:09 Well I wouldn't have done it but, 48:12 well, the circumstances and-- 48:15 the circumstances were thee, so that's why did it. 48:18 You realize it's a matter of right and wrong 48:21 not circumstances. 48:22 Circumstances are not to control a child of God. 48:26 You are controlled by the grace of God circumstances. 48:29 That's why we're, we're children of the King. 48:32 We'd have to worry about what's happening in the world 48:33 and we have to make our-- It's right and wrong. 48:35 Do the right thing. 48:38 God said I'm going to help you to do the right thing. 48:40 So we bring on somebody needs to listen. 48:43 We bring on problems in our own life 48:45 and then we want to blame everything and everybody else. 48:48 You're been around somebody like that maybe you've done, 48:50 I think maybe I might have done it. 48:53 I'll give you just a little short 48:54 quick illustration of this. 48:56 We bring things on ourself 48:57 and then we can't really figure out 48:58 why we're miserable why things are not going good. 49:00 There were two men. 49:01 These two men work in construction together. 49:04 Are you still with me? All right, good. 49:07 Two men work in construction. 49:08 Every day they got their little box of lunch, 49:10 you know, they sat down, they open their lunch 49:12 and they began to eat. 49:14 And this man opened it up and he-- 49:17 notice with me what he said I don't want somebody 49:19 writing a letter and say, yeah, but why can't you. 49:21 He opened his lunch box there was a cheese sandwich. 49:27 And he looked at the cheese sandwich, 49:28 he told his but buddy he said, "Oh, brother, 49:31 not another cheese sandwich." 49:33 Man didn't say anything 49:35 didn't want to get in, involved 49:36 you know, blah, blah. 49:37 Next day come back open a box. 49:39 "Oh, man, a cheese sandwich. 49:41 I'm getting so sick of cheese sandwiches, 49:43 I can't hardly stand it." 49:46 Man thought maybe I should say something, 49:48 his buddy, he thought well, maybe. 49:49 Maybe I won't. 49:51 Another day goes by the man opens his box. 49:53 I cannot believe another cheese sandwich. 49:56 I tell you I hope I don't ever want to see 49:58 another cheese sandwich. 50:00 His buddy thought you know what, I'm just. 50:02 I need to say something here because this-- went too far. 50:04 He said, "Oh, friend, why don't you tell your wife 50:10 to make you something different?" 50:13 Man looked over him he said or number one, 50:16 I'm not married. 50:18 And number two, I make my own sandwiches. 50:21 Now somebody not with me you missed the whole thing. 50:25 Did you get what we're talking? Did you get the point? 50:29 Lot of time we create our own problems. 50:34 We made it, we made a choice, we did something over here 50:37 and we're really the ones to blame. 50:40 We want to blame the church, we want to blame the pastor, 50:42 we want to blame everybody else in the world 50:44 but maybe we've made that cheese sandwich. 50:49 God calls for His people here in the last days too. 50:51 I'm telling you right now. He's calling us home. 50:54 Beautiful book if you don't have it, "Desire of Ages." 50:57 We're not gonna get too much farther because of our time 50:59 but I want you to listen this. 51:00 Page 456. Desire of Ages. 51:03 It says, "And like Israel, the Jews, Pharisees, 51:07 notice had not put their will, 51:10 the power of choice," this is important. 51:11 Remember you get up in the morning. 51:13 Put your will, right, give it to Christ. 51:15 Give it to the Holy Spirit. Think about that. 51:19 That's the power of choice 51:20 where I can't make a good choice on my own. 51:23 Commit our wills to Jesus Christ 51:24 the first thing. 51:26 The Jews didn't do that, Pharisees didn't do that. 51:28 "They didn't put it on the side of God's will, 51:30 they were," listen, "they were not seeking to know the truth. 51:35 But, they're trying to find some excuse for evading it." 51:41 You have a fine neighbors and friends and people 51:43 you try to give them the truth and they keep making 51:44 all kinds of excuses, why they can't, 51:46 they can't come, they can't, they can't study, 51:48 they can't do, they're always busy, blah, blah. 51:51 Those things will come back in the judgment. 51:53 They'll be wishing and you will too 51:54 those of you who are listening 51:56 and maybe you're guilty of this. 51:57 A million times over if I might say that 51:59 that you finally said you know, I need to listen. 52:02 I need to give it a shot, 52:03 I need to learn more about Jesus, 52:05 I need to give my life to him. 52:07 Notice what they're doing. 52:08 "They were just trying to evade the truth. 52:11 Christ showed that there was 52:12 this was why they did not understand His teaching." 52:15 Why is it that many people don't understand the teachings 52:18 which is so clear in the Word of God. 52:19 Because we don't want to understand it, 52:21 because we don't want to study. 52:23 We're looking for excuses right quick not to do 52:26 what it that thus sayeth the Lord 52:27 tells us that we should do. 52:29 They didn't understand the teaching of Jesus. 52:31 So notice this. Here's our point. 52:33 So with genuine repentance and humiliation. 52:37 And even searching out for truth, 52:39 those of we are looking no excuse can be made. 52:43 We cannot make excuses. 52:45 No self justification for our actions. 52:50 So we need to learn something from this. 52:53 Not, don't be blaming somebody else. 52:55 Because you made a choice and because of your actions. 52:59 I want to be, don't you? 53:01 I want to be looking for what, I want to know what truth is. 53:03 I want to love the truth. I want to proclaim the truth. 53:05 I want to live the truth. 53:07 Truth is certainly Jesus Christ, isn't it? 53:10 One quick example here, 53:12 we're gonna have to have prayer, times is gone 53:13 but you know, Paul gave such a beautiful illustration 53:17 in his life. 53:18 He didn't blame anything or anybody. 53:20 You read it when you have the chance. 53:22 Acts Chapter 26:10. 53:25 He said exactly what he was 53:27 till he gave his life to Jesus Christ. 53:29 You know what he said? He said I persecuted people. 53:32 I hunted them down, right. He helped destroy them. 53:36 He owned up to what he did 53:38 but he said I did it in ignorance. 53:40 Many of you doing things is not in ignorance today. 53:42 You know better. You know better. 53:45 And God holds you accountable 53:47 and he owes me accountable today for my sins. 53:50 But we need to own up to it and come to Him 53:54 and of course, Paul was quick to say and 1 Timothy 1:15. 53:58 He talks about "Christ Jesus came into the world," 54:01 notice this, "to save sinners of whom I am chief." 54:05 How many times have you read that? 54:08 He said, Jesus came into the world 54:10 to save sinners and I'm the chief. 54:11 Oh, so easy to say 54:13 well, I'm the worst sinner in the world, I'm over-- 54:14 and somebody points out something wrong in your life, 54:16 oh, you just blow up. 54:18 Well I'm not really rude that. Well, you are you know it. 54:20 Are you telling the truth? 54:23 He said on the chief of sinners that means the foremost, 54:25 that means the worst, that means in time 54:27 and place and order. 54:29 Friend, I need to pray. Our time is gone. 54:30 I want to pray for you because I know somebody 54:32 has made a change in their heart 54:33 and in their life. 54:35 Would you just pray with me right now 54:36 as you rededicate your life to Jesus? 54:38 Let's pray, shall we? 54:40 Loving Father in Heaven, 54:41 again, we thank You for your precious word. 54:43 We thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit, 54:45 You've been convicting hearts, lives and minds 54:48 and we realized along with conviction, 54:49 forsaking of sin, 54:51 we realize there needs to be a reformation. 54:53 There needs to be a change that takes place. 54:54 We're no longer the same ever again 54:56 because we've got to have Jesus living in our hearts 54:58 and in our minds. 55:00 Thank you, Lord, for those who made that decision that choice. 55:02 In Jesus' name we pray and we thank You. Amen. 55:06 Ain't that really wonderful to know that 55:07 as we make that decision 55:09 and that we can turn our lives over to Christ 55:10 and He will receive us just as we are? 55:13 Be willing to walk with Him each and every day. 55:16 Friend, we thoroughly thank you 55:19 for what you do for this ministry 55:20 and helping us to get the message to the world. 55:22 We believe in not doing less we believe in doing more 55:25 and Jesus has given us that, 55:26 His Spirit has given us that opportunity. 55:28 Help us shoulder up with us. 55:29 Let's finish this work so that we can go home together. 55:32 Don't you want to go home? 55:34 Let's finish this work let's get together. 55:35 We love you and God loves you 55:37 and thanks for those decisions today 55:39 and we'll see you next time. 55:43 Hello, Friends and welcome back. 55:45 It is our prayer that none of us 55:47 will find ourselves amongst this group 55:50 that will never in this life fall on their knees 55:53 and proclaim Christ to be their Lord and their Savior. 55:58 Oh, we realize that a day is coming 56:00 after the second resurrection that indeed every knee will bow 56:05 and every tongue will confess that Jesus is LORD. 56:09 But at that time, it's too late to receive the just reward 56:13 that He so wanted to give us. 56:16 Pray and never cease praying for the conviction. 56:19 And the conversion of yourself and for your loved ones. 56:23 Well, the door of probation is yet open. 56:26 Listen to the Holy Spirit as He speak into your heart 56:29 to come in and then join the family of God. 56:33 This is a decision that you will never ever regret making. 56:38 And I hope that you'll allow us to help. 56:41 This message has been made available to send to you 56:43 for a love gift of just $8 or more. 56:47 And should you desire several copies, 56:49 we have what we call a sharing price. 56:52 When you ordered ten copies of any single message, 56:56 we will be happy to mail those to you 56:58 in paper sleeves 57:00 for a love gift of just $35 or more. 57:04 This is a great, and it isn't inexpensive way to share 57:08 the love of Jesus with your friends 57:10 and your family, 57:11 not to mention that your orders will help support are working, 57:15 getting these messages out over the airways 57:19 as a witness for our Lord. 57:21 Simply contact us here at Behold the Lamb Ministries 57:24 by calling area code 618-942-5044, 57:30 that's Central Standard Time. 57:32 Or you may write, Behold the Lamb Ministries, 57:35 PO BOX 2030, Herrin, Illinois, 62948. 57:40 Email your order 57:41 to BeholdtheLambMinistries @yahoo.com 57:45 or you may also order these messages 57:47 along with other messages on our website 57:50 at www.Behold theLambMinistries.com 57:56 Friends, until next time, may our precious Lord 57:59 continue to bless you and yours. |
Revised 2016-01-14