Participants:
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000115A
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00:38 Hello and welcome to Behold the Lamb Presents.
00:40 I'm Chris Shelton. 00:42 I wanna thank you for joining us. 00:44 Today's message is one 00:46 most of us are really interested in 00:48 and that being 00:49 "How You Can Become a New Person." 00:51 So many people find themselves discouraged with their lives 00:55 and they're really sorry for the various mistakes 00:58 that they have made over the years. 01:00 So the thought of becoming a new person in Christ 01:03 truly sounds wonderful. 01:05 It is just what they and all of us need. 01:09 But how can this transformation come about? 01:12 And is it really, really true 01:14 that we can become a totally new person 01:17 with new motives, new thoughts, and new actions? 01:21 And if so, 01:22 how does this new birth experience 01:25 take place? 01:26 And what may we expect our characters to be like 01:29 once we are truly converted? 01:31 All these questions and many more 01:34 will be answered by Pastor Kenny today 01:37 as he delivers our message, again, entitled 01:40 "How You Can Become a New Person." 01:42 This message is the 23rd message 01:45 of a 25-part series of programs 01:48 that we have developed 01:50 using this Bible brochure as our guide. 01:53 This Bible brochure is entitled 01:55 "Sharing God's Love Makes You Happier, 01:57 What The Bible Says," 01:59 and it was compiled by Brother Richard Bland 02:02 under the guidance of the Holy Spirit 02:05 as he endeavored to answer 25 of the most asked questions 02:09 that he has received 02:11 during his many years of ministry 02:13 with United Prison Ministries. 02:15 And now we at Behold the Lamb Ministries 02:18 have expounded his studies into one-hour presentations 02:22 that are literally spanning the world with God's answers 02:26 as given through the scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy. 02:30 But before we join Pastor Kenny Shelton today, 02:33 let's visit 3ABN for worshiping song 02:36 that is entitled "That Sounds Like Home To Me" 02:40 as sung by Layke Jones 02:42 and accompanied by Brother Tim Parton. 02:57 Somewhere just 02:59 Across the Jordan River 03:06 There's a place 03:08 Of everlasting joy 03:13 And peace 03:16 Where the stream of life 03:20 Is flowing there forever 03:27 And the crown of life 03:30 Is waiting there for me 03:36 That sounds like home to me 03:41 Like where I want to be 03:46 There'll be no tears 03:51 To fill our eyes again 03:58 The hills will echo with the story 04:03 As we sing of His grace and glory 04:08 Where the saints of God will be 04:14 That sounds like 04:17 Home to me 04:28 They say there's only joy 04:33 Inside that city 04:39 A crystal river flowing by 04:45 The tree of life 04:50 No pain, no disappointments 04:56 There will hurt us 05:02 For Jesus Christ Himself 05:08 Will be the light 05:14 That sounds like home to me 05:19 Right where I want to be 05:25 There'll be no tears 05:30 To fill our eyes again 05:37 The hills will echo with the story 05:43 As we sing of His grace and glory 05:48 Where the saints of God will be 05:54 That sounds like 05:57 Home to me 06:02 The hills will echo with the story 06:07 As we sing of His grace 06:11 And glory 06:18 Where the saints of God will be 06:25 That sounds like home 06:30 To me 06:43 Thanks for joining us once again 06:44 here at Behold the Lamb Ministry. 06:46 As you've heard already, 06:47 subject is a vital, vital of importance today 06:50 in each of our Christian experience. 06:52 We're gonna talk about 06:53 how you can become a new person. 06:55 And we wanna thank 06:56 those who bring our special music to us. 06:58 What a blessing that is. 06:59 We hear the Word of God, it sets our heart, 07:01 it sets our mind to be able to hear the Word of God. 07:04 While we get into this study, I'm going to pray right now. 07:06 We've got a lot to cover. 07:07 We need to ask for the power of the Holy Spirit. 07:09 Will you pray with me, please? 07:11 Loving Father in Heaven, 07:13 thank You for the privilege of studying Your Word today. 07:15 Praying for the unction of thy Holy Spirit. 07:17 Lord, move upon our hearts and our minds, 07:19 cover us with Your blood that Your voice may be heard 07:22 that Your Word may be understood, 07:24 and decisions made not for just today, 07:26 but for eternity. 07:27 In Jesus' name, amen. 07:31 If you have your Bibles, get them out real quickly, 07:32 a pencil and paper and jot down 07:34 some of these passage of scripture 07:35 because I wanna give you, I call them text for thought, 07:39 text for thought as we start out this message, 07:42 you know, "How You Become a New Person." 07:45 This may sound simple but it can be deep 07:49 and it's something 07:50 that many people struggle with every day of their life 07:54 and yet they're not making that decision. 07:56 So we pray today, 07:57 you're going to make a decision for Jesus once and for all 08:00 that you want to become a new person in Him. 08:02 In the Old Testament, the Book of Numbers 5:6-7, 08:07 I want you to pay special attention to this, 08:09 then I'm gonna give you about three passages of scripture 08:12 that simply tell us that God says, 08:14 "You know what, 08:15 you're not going to enter the kingdom of God. 08:18 If this takes place, 08:19 you're not going to enter the kingdom of God. 08:21 Numbers 5:6-7 reads like this. It says, 08:24 "Speak unto the children of Israel, 08:26 when a man or a woman shall commit any sin 08:31 that men commit to do a trespass against the Lord, 08:35 that person is guilty." 08:37 Notice, 08:38 "Then shall they confess their sin 08:41 which they have done." 08:43 Very simple here, isn't it? 08:44 We've done something wrong, 08:46 we realize it's wrong, 08:47 then we need to do what? 08:48 Confess that sin. 08:50 That's where many make a mistake 08:52 in their walk day by day. 08:54 They're not willing to confess 08:55 that they've done something wrong. 08:57 This is where it begins. 08:58 Now notice these three passages of scripture quickly 09:01 In Matthew 18:3, Jesus is speaking, 09:05 He says, "Verily I say unto you, 09:07 Except ye be converted and become as little," 09:10 what? 09:11 "Little children," notice it, 09:12 "ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." 09:15 My question would come back quickly, 09:17 then how do we become little children? 09:20 Well, the Galatians 3:26 says this, 09:23 Galatians 3:26, 09:24 "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." 09:30 Is by what? 09:31 It's all faith in Christ Jesus, we become as little children. 09:36 John 3:3, 09:37 very familiar passage of scripture, 09:39 Jesus speaking again. 09:41 John 3:3, 09:43 "Verily, verily, 09:44 I say unto thee, except a man be," what, 09:46 "born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 09:50 Jesus is saying you cannot see if you're not born again. 09:53 Did you notice that? 09:55 If we're not like.. 09:56 become like little children, be converted, 09:58 we shall not enter the kingdom of God. 10:00 And in John 3:5, notice this, 10:03 Jesus answered again, notice what He said, 10:05 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 10:08 except a man be born of the," what, 10:10 "the water and of the Spirit, 10:13 he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 10:16 So that's very clear. 10:17 Something needs to be done. 10:18 The way that we are born into this world, 10:21 there must be a change that takes place. 10:24 We're born in the blood and flesh, 10:27 but then there must be a change that takes place 10:30 if we want heaven to be our home. 10:32 How do we become that new person? 10:34 I looked up some things I thought was interesting. 10:36 A Gallup, it's a poll, the Gallup Poll, 10:39 and usually they're pretty accurate with it. 10:41 They've taken 1,000 to 2,000 people 10:43 and they asked them the questions. 10:45 Notice this, even with the economy, 10:48 as stable as it seems as it is right now and strong, 10:51 Americans are feeling very anxious. 10:54 They're feeling depressed 10:56 Notice, they're dissatisfied with their lives. 11:00 How can that be? 11:02 It seems like, you know, 11:03 more money, more jobs, more things happening, 11:05 that we're going to be happy, but they're dissatisfied. 11:08 Now notice this, wellbeing... 11:10 Now this shocked me, 11:12 wellbeing is lower in religious states. 11:16 The wellbeing is lower in religious states. 11:20 How can that be? 11:21 Notice that, but it's higher, wellbeing is higher in states, 11:25 notice this, that concentrate on the arts, 11:30 that concentrate on music and musicians, 11:33 and writers, and other things. 11:36 Isn't that interesting? 11:38 So things of the world 11:39 may not be bad within themselves, 11:40 but things of the world, 11:42 the group of people are seemed to be happier 11:44 for some reason. 11:45 America is growing increasingly unhappy. 11:50 There must be something wrong. 11:52 Do we need that change? 11:53 Is there something that needs to take place in our life, 11:56 that we can become a new person in Jesus Christ? 12:00 This is taken from, 12:01 it's called the Conversation.com. 12:04 You can look it up for yourself. 12:06 And again, they did a poll. 12:07 And this deals 12:09 with not only on those that deals with teenagers, 12:10 but it deals with those of us who are older, 12:13 we might fit in this class. 12:15 Notice this, what they said here. 12:17 So every year, 12:18 teens are asked about their general happiness. 12:22 Now in addition to how they spend their time, 12:25 notice, we found that teens who spent more time, 12:29 listen, teens who spent more time, 12:32 notice this, 12:33 seeing their friends, did you get that? 12:37 Seeing their friends, exercising, 12:40 playing some kind of sports for exercise, 12:43 and attending religious services were happy, 12:48 ain't that interesting? 12:50 They were happy. 12:51 They would read, they would exercise, 12:53 they would spend some time, they would see their friends 12:56 rather than other ways to get contact with them. 12:59 Now, so interesting now, 13:01 however, teens who spent more time on their internet, 13:07 teens who spent more time playing games on the computer, 13:10 teens who was on the social media all the time, 13:14 teens who were texting all the time, 13:17 teens who were using video chat, 13:20 and teens who were watching TV were less happy, 13:24 isn't that interesting? 13:25 See, the enemy is saying, 13:27 all those things that I just read out, 13:29 these what makes them happy, 13:30 these what makes the teens happy. 13:32 But as they take these polls and ask them, 13:34 that's not what makes them happy. 13:36 In other words, in other words, 13:39 every activity 13:41 that didn't involve a screen was linked to more happiness. 13:46 Somebody needs to think with me now. 13:48 I'm not saying 13:50 it's gonna be popular what I'm telling you. 13:51 I just said, this is what the poll said. 13:53 And the polls usually were pretty good 13:54 within two or three points so you know. 13:57 So interesting, and it says, 13:59 in every activity 14:00 that involved a screen was linked to less happiness. 14:05 This is just what the poll said. 14:06 They weren't trying to be religious as it were, 14:08 they weren't trying to prove a point, 14:10 they were just taking the survey. 14:12 The difference, notice this, 14:14 the happy ones and the ones less happy, 14:16 they said, there was a considerable difference 14:19 in between the two classes. 14:22 And if you wanted to give some advice, 14:25 based on research, 14:26 you know, I like to give advice 14:28 as it were based on the Word of God, 14:29 don't you? 14:30 And in this subject here, 14:32 you give advice based upon research, 14:33 notice this, 14:35 based upon research is very simple. 14:37 Put down your phone, 14:40 or your tablet, 14:41 and just go do something, 14:43 isn't that interesting, huh? 14:45 Because of screens, listen carefully, 14:48 because of screens, 14:49 there is less face-to-face time with each other, 14:53 did you get it? 14:54 Including time with your partner. 15:00 This results in less of everything, 15:03 including happiness.` 15:07 So as a partner, as a mate, 15:09 people you spend time with, think about that one. 15:11 That's pretty heavy duty. 15:13 Do we feel then possibly that we need to change? 15:17 Is it possible that we need to change? 15:18 Now remember, even as a Christian, 15:20 you say, "Well, I'm somewhat content." 15:22 You may be in trouble with that attitude, 15:24 I'm content. 15:25 Until we get to heaven, let's not be content. 15:28 We can be happy we're moving in the right direction. 15:30 We're climbing in the right direction, 15:32 but not to be content. 15:33 Content makes you lazy 15:35 and that you don't want anything else, 15:37 you don't need anything else. 15:38 And we're trying to say, we need more of Jesus. 15:41 We need more of Him. 15:43 We need more time spent with Him. 15:45 Let's focus on becoming a new person. 15:48 We may be like Paul. 15:50 Everybody knows the life of Paul, 15:52 awesome man of God. 15:54 And certainly, we could learn by reading scripture. 15:57 But, you know, it's interesting, 15:59 Paul said, 16:00 "I want to do the right thing 16:02 but I find myself doing the wrong thing." 16:04 Now maybe you're that way today. 16:07 I've been that way. 16:09 You want to do the right thing. 16:12 "I know it's right. I want to do the right thing," 16:14 but, boy-oh-boy, 16:16 if I didn't turn around and do the wrong thing. 16:18 Now why, why would that happen? 16:20 Well, Paul explained it more in Romans 7 16:23 if you're jotting things down, Romans 7:15-19. 16:28 It would be so beautiful 16:29 to sit down read every one of these verses. 16:31 But let me put it in a nutshell. 16:32 But I gave you the passage, 16:33 and so, therefore, 16:35 you can study to show yourself approved unto God. 16:37 In a nutshell, in Romans 7:15-19, 16:40 here's what Paul simply says. 16:42 He says, "But what I hate that I do." 16:46 I'm putting in a nutshell, did you get it? 16:48 That I hate, he said, that I do. 16:51 And then verse 19, he said, 16:53 "For the good that I would I do not, 16:58 but the evil, which I would not, that I do." 17:02 Man, that sounds pretty heavy duty, 17:03 doesn't it? 17:04 Now whether Paul... 17:06 There's a little bit of reflection here 17:07 I want you to think about. 17:09 There's controversy 17:10 even what I just read in those passages. 17:13 Now, so we're gonna look at 17:14 whether Paul was reflecting on his life 17:19 before conversion or after conversion. 17:23 He sensed 17:25 there was some imperfection in his life 17:27 that needed to be changed, does that make sense? 17:29 Now today would be the question, 17:31 are there any of us here 17:33 or those who will watch, or view, listen, 17:35 whatever it might be, that sense 17:37 there's some imperfections in their life 17:40 and some changes need to be made? 17:42 See, if we don't, we're in trouble. 17:44 We're in trouble. I've already seen them. 17:45 Right now, I can name a lot of them from my own life. 17:48 I can sense a lot 17:49 because I'm looking at what I'm supposed to look at. 17:51 I'm looking at Jesus, 17:53 and I'm a far cry from that. 17:54 But He wants to draw me, and He's drawing me 17:56 and showing me the way and helping me with this. 18:00 So Paul was reflecting on these things 18:02 and some areas, and he came to the conclusion, 18:05 "I need some help." 18:06 If Paul needed some help, 18:07 I need more help, I need some more help. 18:10 Especially this, if for years, we have been maybe hereditary, 18:16 it plays a part, we've inherited some things, 18:20 and maybe we've been cultivating some things, 18:22 are we listening, church? 18:23 We think about cultivating some bad habits. 18:26 And it seems like all we've done 18:27 is just make wrong choices all the time. 18:29 Every time we make a choice, it turns out backwards. 18:32 I know no one here is like that, 18:34 but there's someone maybe that happens in their life. 18:37 But this can be so annoying to an individual 18:40 when they've cultivated some bad things, 18:42 they practice a lot of bad things, 18:44 but yet they want to do the right thing. 18:46 Are we getting it, church? 18:47 They wanna do the right thing, but now there are like, 18:50 "Man, you know, 18:51 what am I going to do right now? 18:53 I long to break this habit, but I can't seem to break it." 18:58 You know, the effects of evil habits and practices 19:00 are not easily broken. 19:02 Now we realize through the blood of Jesus Christ, 19:05 but what happens is most of the time, 19:07 we make a decision that, what? 19:09 We are going to stop this. 19:11 We're going to quit this. 19:13 "I can do it on my own," 19:16 that's what people say. 19:17 "Well, we can do it on our own. Don't need any help." 19:20 Oh, how sad. 19:22 How miserable it becomes in their life 19:24 and how many times they are defeated, 19:26 until, listen, they're defeated so often 19:28 that they don't wanna fight anymore. 19:31 And this is when we're in trouble. 19:33 The effects of habits and bad choices leaves a scar, 19:38 oh-oh, even after we're converted. 19:41 Is somebody there? Yeah. 19:44 Even after we are converted, some of the ridiculous... 19:48 I want to say silly, and I want to say stupid, 19:51 but I need to be careful in the pulpit. 19:53 Did I say it anyway? Yeah. 19:55 The things that they've done, 19:57 it's left scars, 19:59 and scars are not easily removed. 20:01 And the scar is something 20:05 that is aggravating all through your life, 20:07 even though it's not an issue maybe anymore, 20:09 you see that scar, 20:10 you're reminded of what happened 20:12 while you got that scar. 20:13 And a scar is very sensitive, is it not? 20:16 I have a finger, it's almost cut off, 20:18 one finger here and the scars all around it. 20:20 You know what happens? 20:21 When the weather gets bad, it's very sensitive. 20:24 It's more sensitive to touch than my other fingers at all. 20:28 That's really sensitive there everything. 20:30 It's a constant reminder that something went wrong. 20:33 It's not easy to get over this. 20:35 It's tender, it's touchy. 20:38 Sometimes, that happens in our life. 20:41 We can't forget that that scar is there. 20:44 Kind of like maybe like sin, 20:47 sin is impossible to resist. 20:50 Let me finish it now. 20:52 Sin is impossible to resist. 20:55 Notice, 20:57 even resist the power of evil without a higher power, 21:01 did you get it? 21:02 Within ourselves, it's impossible to resist evil 21:05 unless we have some outside help, 21:07 higher power that takes possession of the soul. 21:12 One man said one time, 21:13 he said, you know, if you are born once, 21:17 are you still here? 21:18 If you're born once, notice this, 21:20 you're born into the devil's family. 21:24 If you're born twice, you are born into God's family. 21:28 Now that starts to make sense, doesn't it, 21:30 as we put it together, we're born into God's family. 21:33 Martin Luther said something like this. 21:36 He knew very well what Paul was going through. 21:39 When Paul was writing and pinning all these things, 21:41 I mean, Paul exposed himself. 21:43 Paul told a lot of things on himself. 21:45 Whereas the readers, we can't hardly see it 21:47 because we just esteem him high in Jesus 21:49 because he loved Jesus. 21:51 But Martin Luther knew very well 21:53 about the sayings there, about the carnal mind. 21:56 When Martin Luther said something like this, 21:58 he said, "I am more afraid of my heart." 22:01 See, some of us are not afraid of our heart. 22:04 We're not afraid of our mind. 22:05 But I say be leery of your heart. 22:07 Be leery of your mind. 22:09 Its evil, the Bible says, isn't that right? 22:11 We ought to be very careful. 22:12 Even though we think it's all right. 22:14 Martin Luther said, "I'm afraid of my heart." 22:15 He said, "I'm more afraid of my heart 22:17 than I am of the pope 22:19 and all the cardinals put together." 22:22 That's pretty heavy duty, isn't it? 22:24 He had a lot to be afraid of, didn't he? 22:29 Paul came to the point, finally he just simply said, 22:31 we're talking about a new person here. 22:32 He finally came to the point, he said, 22:34 "Who's going to deliver me?" 22:39 Who's going to... 22:40 In other word there he said, 22:41 "Who's going to rescue me from this?" 22:44 So you may come to that in your Christian experience, 22:46 who's going to rescue? 22:48 I'm in a mess. I need somebody to rescue me. 22:50 I need some more help. 22:51 I've lived this life for so long. 22:53 I don't know any other way. 22:56 Where does victory come from? 23:00 Does it come from knowing a bunch of laws and rules? 23:04 Can a man free himself 23:06 because he decides he's going to free himself? 23:09 Can he do it 23:11 because with his own just as will 23:12 or just his own mind? 23:14 The answer has to be no to all of those. 23:18 Many have tried that we talked about a few moments ago, 23:21 and many have failed, 23:23 and the results were disastrous. 23:25 You may have known someone, 23:27 you may have been one of those people. 23:30 The end result was disastrous. 23:32 There's only one way that we can begin live over 23:35 and regardless of our past at all, 23:37 and that we know is through Jesus Christ. 23:40 Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:57... 23:44 I like the way Paul starts up. 23:45 He said, "Thanks be to God." 23:48 Wouldn't it be nice if we started out everything, 23:50 thanks be to God? 23:52 Kenny, you're here today, thanks be to God. 23:54 Man, you've been blessed, thanks be to God. 23:57 Whoa! 23:58 Well, that song was beautiful, thanks be to God. 24:00 Well, that message touched my heart, 24:02 thanks be to God. 24:04 See, everything has to come back to what? 24:06 Thanks be to God. 24:08 He said, "Thanks be to God, 24:10 which giveth us victory through," 24:12 notice this, "our Lord Jesus Christ." 24:15 Now what did he say? Where does victory come from? 24:18 1 Corinthians, come on, 15:57. 24:21 "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory 24:26 through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 24:28 Victory comes from where? 24:30 Being in Jesus Christ, our Lord. 24:32 It's not in... 24:33 Well, I'm going to attend a class over here. 24:35 It may help you along the way, that's not the answer. 24:38 I made up my mind, I'm going to do it, 24:39 that's not the answer. 24:41 My will is strong, and I will not be defeated, 24:43 that's not enough. 24:45 I've purposed in my heart 24:46 that it's not gonna happen again. 24:48 That's still not enough. We need Jesus. 24:50 That's where victory is assured because the Bible says so. 24:54 The Bible said so, our problem, 24:55 we won't hang on to the Word of God. 24:58 We don't have enough faith in the Word of God, 25:00 and we become selfish, and we wanna continue to do 25:02 what we're doing, 25:04 because we like what we're doing. 25:07 Think with me for a moment. 25:08 Why was Paul within himself 25:11 incapable of following what God wanted him to do? 25:16 Now within himself, he said, man, I'm incapable. 25:19 Well, Romans 7:14 gives us a little hint 25:22 as we're building on this new life. 25:25 Romans 7:14, Paul said, he laid it out pretty clear, 25:29 "For we know that the law is," what is the law? 25:32 "It's spiritual." 25:34 You know, when people say, 25:35 "Well, the law is not important. 25:37 But my Bible says in several passages there 25:38 that the law is spiritual, it must be good. 25:42 The law is spiritual, but they turn around, 25:44 he said, "But look at me, 25:46 I'm carnal, and I'm sold under sin." 25:49 Born in this mess, this world, 25:51 and a change need to take place. 25:53 It's spiritual, and I'm just an old human being. 25:56 Well, he knew something need to change, didn't he? 25:59 When we say that's maybe all of us, 26:01 would that be fair? 26:03 To say, maybe that's all of us. 26:07 What did he mean? 26:08 Paul was very, some people say confusing, 26:10 but you know, spiritual things are spiritually discerned, 26:12 and so you study to show yourself approved. 26:15 What did he mean? 26:16 Number one... 26:18 There's three points is very interesting. 26:19 Paul establishes, 26:20 and then Paul begins to defend 26:22 and he's saying, "Oh, was he good at that?" 26:24 Man, he was good at defending what is truth. 26:27 You know, group of men, 26:29 I don't care how many could not gain say him, 26:31 because he knew the Word of God 26:32 and had the power of the Holy Spirit. 26:35 So three points here. 26:36 He simply says... 26:38 Number one, he said, three points, 26:39 I'm going to defend. 26:40 The law is what? It's spiritual. 26:43 That's in Romans 7:14, the law is spiritual. 26:46 Then he says, "The law is holy, 26:48 and it's just, and it's good," 26:50 in Romans 7:12. 26:52 So he makes it a point right quick, 26:54 then we're going to have to look, 26:55 as we're trying to, 26:57 by the grace of God make a change, 26:58 we're going to have to find something 26:59 that we can look at the spiritual 27:01 that will help to guide us to where we know, 27:04 what we should do, or maybe what we shouldn't do 27:05 by the grace of God. 27:07 I hope that makes sense. 27:08 Number two, Paul was defending, 27:10 and he was establishing the true nature of sin. 27:14 We have to realize what the true nature of sin is, 27:17 and how it affects each and every one of us. 27:21 You think about the third point, 27:22 this conflict or the battle is more or less we could say, 27:26 everybody's different, is that true? 27:28 We're all different. 27:30 And things affect you different at one point 27:31 than it does to me and so on and so forth. 27:33 But every person is challenged, 27:36 or they're confronted by the knowledge. 27:38 When they've come to a knowledge 27:40 that there's a spiritual claim of God's law has on us. 27:44 Other words to realize that God has a law 27:47 and that it is binding The Ten Commandments. 27:51 And once we say, 27:52 "Oh, he does have a standard of righteousness. 27:54 I am accountable to Him." 27:57 All of a sudden, there's something begins 27:59 to stir inside. 28:00 I'm accountable. 28:01 I'm a sinner. 28:03 Well, I need to change. 28:05 We need to hear that, we need to understand that. 28:08 Because before conversion, what happened, let's be honest? 28:11 Before conversion, 28:12 when God wasn't even in your thoughts, 28:15 basically, I've heard people say, 28:17 "Well, I didn't think about God for 10, 12, or 14 years of age. 28:20 I never heard about in my house, I didn't know. 28:23 That's just foreign to my mind, but not to others. 28:26 So you know, before conversion, sin just, 28:29 it didn't seem to bother. 28:30 Some individual, it didn't bother them. 28:32 They could just do what they wanted to do. 28:34 They felt good about it. 28:35 There was no heavy burden. Everything was just fine. 28:37 But now conviction of the Holy Spirit is coming. 28:40 The Holy Spirit is working, right? 28:42 What do you think it is or not, 28:43 you couldn't even make a decision for Christ, 28:45 unless, what? 28:47 The Spirit of the Living God was working in you first. 28:50 Jesus said, "I came to you." 28:52 Think about it. 28:54 The Holy Spirit inside, we may not realize it, 28:55 but it's working on us 28:57 to bring us to the point 28:58 of make a decision for Christ. 29:00 I love that this point right here. 29:03 Now remember, when the Holy Spirit comes, 29:06 we begin to sense a load of guilt. 29:10 Our life is heavy, 29:13 wages of sin. 29:14 There's things that are going on... 29:15 I'm carrying a big heavy load here. 29:17 I want to be free from this. 29:20 I don't want to be carrying around 29:21 what I'm carrying around." 29:23 But I noticed that 29:24 when I looked at the law of God, 29:26 I noticed what the law of God is because Romans 3:20, 29:28 just simply tells us that "For by the law is the," what? 29:33 "For by the law is the," what? 29:36 "Is the knowledge of sins." Stay with me. 29:38 What does the law do? Does the law save you? 29:40 Does The Ten Commandment law save you? 29:42 No. No, it does not. It never will. 29:44 It only points out what sin is. 29:46 Why? 29:47 Because that's what the Bible said, 29:49 "I would not have known, 29:50 Paul said, what sin is accepted say it, 29:51 thou shalt not. 29:53 So now we know. 29:56 And the law cannot give me victory. 29:58 Oh, I keep the law of God, 29:59 that can't give you any victory. 30:01 Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 30:04 right, can bring us the victory. 30:07 There's a man carrying a bag of potatoes, 30:10 kind of interesting thought on his back. 30:13 And he was asked by another man that joined him, 30:14 kind of a skeptic. 30:17 Because the man had told him before... 30:19 We always say, as I said, be in the saving relationship, 30:21 I'm saved. 30:23 And let's not try to mince over the word 30:25 saved in the saving relationship, 30:27 because this is a story. 30:28 Are you still with me? 30:29 Man's carrying sack potato, heavy potatoes on his back. 30:32 He's walking down the road, this man joins in, and He says, 30:34 "Well, how do you know if you're saved or not?" 30:39 Man took a few more steps with that bag of taters 30:41 on his shoulder. 30:43 And then he just let go of the bag 30:44 and he dropped the bag. 30:50 Then he said, 30:52 "How do I know that I've dropped the bag? 30:56 I've not looked back to see, 30:58 if I've dropped the bag. 30:59 But how do I know that I've dropped the bag." 31:01 Now the man said, 31:02 "You haven't looked back to see if you've dropped it. 31:04 But you just said you dropped the bag." 31:06 The guy said, "Well, that's what I'm telling you. 31:10 I can tell you 31:11 that I sensed 31:13 that I dropped the bag of potatoes, 31:15 because the weight and the burden 31:17 was lifted from my shoulder 31:19 and it went down to the ground." 31:21 Man said, "Wow! 31:22 Man, I never thought of it like that." 31:25 He said, "That's how I can tell, 31:28 I've lost that guilt, 31:29 I've lost that feeling of sin and sorrow, 31:33 and I found peace in Jesus Christ." 31:37 Why? Because the burden was lifted. 31:39 There's a song, "My burden was lifted at Calvary." 31:42 Ministry of Healing, page 452, 31:45 and 453 says this, 31:48 talks about, "The life of the Apostle Paul," himself 31:51 was this, notice, 31:52 "was a constant conflict with self." 31:56 So we want to keep that point 31:57 as we're striving to be a new person 31:59 in Jesus Christ. 32:00 We have to realize 32:02 that there's going to be a cost. 32:03 Let's be warned about it first, 32:04 so that we can be prepared by the grace of God, 32:06 because the enemy is going to come against you 32:08 because Paul's life was constantly attacked 32:11 by itself. 32:13 Notice, "His will and his desires 32:16 every day conflicted with duty and the will of God." 32:20 So you see everything, he said, what? 32:22 That I should be doing, I don't do. 32:25 So every day, I don't know 32:26 if you find that in your Christian experience, 32:29 that you seem every day, the decisions every day, 32:32 there's a conflict there. 32:33 When you got no duty and you know, 32:35 you want to be doing something for God, 32:36 there something conflict going on 32:39 with the will of God. 32:40 The will of God says this is what I want you to do, 32:42 but somehow there's a kind of a conflict. 32:46 See, this we have to realize when there's a person, 32:49 and maybe today there's a person 32:51 that he's making that decision for Christ, 32:53 and they're realizing right now. 32:55 They long to be converted, 32:57 they want to change, 32:59 they're wanting to be reborn, 33:01 they're wanting things to change in their life. 33:04 But we have to realize, 33:05 as this is taking place, 33:07 there's going to be a battle with self. 33:10 Why is it? 33:12 Because you realize God says, 33:13 "This is the way I want you to walk." 33:15 Self says, "Yeah, but I've been walking 33:17 this way for years. 33:18 And I don't know any other way to walk, 33:19 I kind of like this. 33:21 I'm going to continue to do that." 33:22 So that's the self issue. 33:24 We want our own way 33:26 and want to do how we want to do it. 33:29 And we all realize the near we come to Christ, 33:32 we can discern by the grace of God, 33:35 the ugliness of sin. 33:37 Maybe put in a different way. 33:39 But you know, the closer we get to Jesus 33:41 and more than we realize how ugly sin is, 33:43 we'll never want to turn away from it. 33:45 Sin is what? 33:47 Say it, somebody say, sin is ugly. 33:50 Sinfulness of sin 33:53 to the very point is so ugly, 33:55 we don't want anything to do with it. 33:57 Other places in the world that so ugly as it were, 33:59 you've looked at it, and you said, 34:01 "I don't ever want to go there. 34:02 I don't ever want to be involved in this, man, 34:04 that's ugly." 34:05 We have to be that way with what is sin. 34:08 That way, we don't have to worry about going 34:10 in that direction by the grace of God. 34:16 We need the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in our life 34:20 to changes of Christ. 34:21 Romans 8:3-4, give some insight, 34:24 won't read all the verses, but notice, Romans 8:3-4. 34:28 These are powerful. 34:30 Remember, through the enabling power of Christ, 34:34 and this is what the Romans 8 says, 34:36 "God sending His own," who? 34:39 "Own son," notice this, 34:40 "in the likeness of sinful flesh," 34:44 notice, "for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." 34:48 Isn't that wonderful? 34:49 He condemned sin in the flesh. 34:51 If you look at the word condemn, 34:52 it means He predicts, 34:54 He pronounced a sentence against sin, 34:56 isn't that beautiful? Yes. 34:58 He judged sin for what it really is. 35:02 When Jesus came it says, here right here, 35:04 He opposed sin. 35:06 That means I need to oppose sin. 35:08 I need to look at and make a judgment, 35:10 this is ugly, this is not any good. 35:11 I don't want it anymore. 35:13 I'm tired of living the life I've been living. 35:14 I'm tired of drinking. I'm tired of drugs. 35:16 I'm tired of alcohol. I'm tired of all this thing. 35:18 I'm tired of watching things I shouldn't be watching. 35:20 I'm tired of listening to things 35:22 that I shouldn't be listening to. 35:23 I'm tired of being with friends 35:24 that only lead me to hell rather than to heaven. 35:26 Are you still there? 35:28 We have to come to that point. 35:31 And we need a cleanup in our life. 35:33 If our friends are not leading us 35:34 in the right direction, 35:36 choose some other friends, they're not your friends. 35:39 Oh, Lord, have mercy. 35:41 We think they're our friends 35:42 and they're leading us in the wrong direction. 35:45 They're asking you to do things, 35:46 you know, you shouldn't be doing. 35:48 They're not your friend, they wouldn't do that. 35:50 A friend would say, "No, don't go there, 35:51 that's going to hurt you." 35:53 Maybe because they've already been there, 35:54 may be 'cause they've already been hurt. 35:56 But a real friend will not do it, 35:57 a friend will give you the right kind of advice. 36:01 "Oh, it won't hurt this time. 36:02 Let's go ahead and go over there, 36:03 nobody's gonna know about it." 36:05 No! 36:06 We need to understand 36:08 and oppose sin the way Jesus did. 36:12 Romans 8:6-7, 36:14 "For be carnally minded," 36:17 notice, men don't want to obey, 36:19 seemed like they don't want to 36:20 but certainly there's some those who do. 36:22 But the majority of the world really don't wanna be obedient. 36:26 Romans 8:6-7, says, 36:28 "For to be carnally minded is," what? 36:30 "Carnally minded is death." 36:32 Anybody want that? No, you don't want it. 36:34 "To be spiritually minded is life and peace." 36:37 Oh! 36:39 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against," who? 36:42 "Its enmity is against God, 36:44 for it is not subject to the law of God, 36:47 neither indeed can it be." 36:51 It can't be, 36:53 until we make that change. 36:55 We need a change is what is telling me, 36:56 how about you? 36:58 Paul simply says here, my brothers and sisters, today, 37:01 Paul says, the carnal mind, 37:04 that means the fleshly mind, doesn't it? 37:08 Unconverted mind, is that fair? 37:11 Mind has not been changed by the grace of God. 37:15 When it says enmity, 37:16 there simply means to have that kind of mind, 37:18 you're gonna be separated from God. 37:21 Now can heaven be our home, 37:22 if we're separated from God? 37:24 No. 37:25 So we don't wanna be involved in anything 37:27 that would separate us from God. 37:29 That's why God gives us His law, 37:33 standard of righteousness, 37:35 "Thou shall not." 37:37 See, again it doesn't save you, points out, thou shall not. 37:40 Cause we don't want to be set. 37:42 And if I do that on there, 37:43 one of those long verse says, "Thou shall not. 37:45 I have separated myself 37:46 from the source of all strength." 37:48 I've separated myself from the chance 37:50 and the possibility of ever coming back to Him, 37:53 unless I choose to turn from that 37:54 and say, "Oh, Lord, have mercy on me." 37:57 One of our first passage, we read in Numbers, 37:59 you remember was, 38:00 we did something that we know is wrong, 38:02 we confess that thing. 38:05 And He's faithful and just to what? 38:06 To forgive us. 38:08 To forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 38:10 How wonderful that is. 38:11 The Bible is so clear on that. 38:14 We know that our thoughts and our purposes, 38:19 maybe our motives 38:20 where sometime we have to look at those ourselves, 38:23 they need to be changed. 38:25 Just a whole way of life needs to be changed. 38:29 If they know, the Bible just said with it, 38:31 there's death. 38:32 Notice, there's a spiritual death first. 38:36 When I turned my back on doing the right thing, 38:38 there's a spiritual death. 38:39 If that's not changed, there's been eternal death. 38:43 You see, it gets worse. 38:45 And none of us want that. 38:46 We wanna be saved in God's kingdom. 38:49 We must be spiritually minded. 38:51 We need to walk in the Spirit. 38:53 We need to be, what? 38:54 Led by the Spirit. 38:56 Tell me how many today, don't raise your hand, 38:57 how many are walking in the Spirit? 38:59 What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? 39:02 How many are doing? 39:03 How many listen to the Holy Spirit lead 39:04 guide them in their life? 39:06 How many are making excuses, 39:07 why they're not walking in the Spirit? 39:10 And you're getting off course 39:12 and God is trying to bring you back 39:13 before it's too late. 39:16 When walking in the Spirit simply is, 39:18 it would be a consistent life, a consistent Christian. 39:23 Are you a consistent Christian today? 39:26 Are you a steady Christian? 39:29 Notice there, is it habitual walk with him? 39:34 Or is it just something that you might want to say, 39:36 "You know, every once in a while I go to church, 39:39 every once in a while I'm involved, 39:40 every once in a while I do something." 39:42 God's looking for consistent Christians today, 39:45 not an occasional walk. 39:47 But it says right here, we notice what it is, 39:49 to be consistent, we need to walk in the Spirit, 39:53 being led by the Spirit of God. 39:56 Spirit of God can speak to you as well as He speaks to me. 39:59 Think about it. 40:01 Are we ever still enough? 40:03 Says, "Be still and know that I'm God." 40:05 Are we ever still enough? 40:07 Do we ever have enough quiet time in the home 40:10 to let God speak to us? 40:11 Or we always cramming something else in our brain, 40:14 in our eyes, in our mind that maybe we shouldn't be? 40:17 What's more important 40:19 than quiet time letting God speak to us? 40:23 You can do that sometime when you go for a walk 40:24 early in the morning 40:26 or you do a little exercise in the morning, 40:27 where you take your Bible and you begin to study it. 40:30 It's time and opportunity for the Spirit of God 40:32 to speak sweet things to you, 40:34 impress you the things 40:36 that we need to make right in our heart and in our life. 40:39 This is a time of conversion that takes place 40:42 because the things that you once loved 40:45 you hated and things that you hate you now 40:47 love a change. 40:49 By the power of the Holy Spirit, 40:51 some of the most pleasing words ever heard to me 40:53 was we can become sons and daughters of God. 40:57 Think about it. 40:59 We can become sons and daughters of God. 41:03 Oh, yeah, it's gonna take effort, isn't it? 41:05 The Bible talks about efforts, 41:07 it's gonna take effort on your part. 41:08 You're gonna have to deny self, 41:10 you got to take up the cross and follow Him. 41:12 If you wanna become that new person, 41:13 if you're sick and tired of that old life, 41:16 this is where it begins right now 41:18 is by looking to Jesus. 41:20 And simply tell Him, 41:22 "I want to be a son, I want to be a daughter, 41:25 I wanna belong to the family of God, 41:27 I wanna be led by the Spirit, I wanna be born again." 41:32 This is very important point 41:34 in becoming a new person. 41:37 In John 1:12-13, 41:40 again, very familiar passages, 41:42 but boy, how they fit. 41:44 John chapter, what? 41:45 1:12-13, notice how it reads. 41:48 But you'll notice when we start in case you forget, 41:50 it says, "But as many as received Him," 41:54 here's the key, "as many as," what? 41:56 "As many as received Him, to them, 41:59 He gave power to become the sons of God." 42:02 You wanna become a son and daughter of God, 42:04 He said, then notice what it is, 42:05 then he gave it to those who received Him, 42:08 received Jesus Christ, 42:09 you become a son and daughter of God, 42:12 "Even to them that believe on His name," verse13, 42:15 notice this, 42:16 "These are the ones which were born," 42:18 notice, "not of blood, nor the will of," what? 42:21 "The flesh, nor the will of man, but of God." 42:24 This is God's will for you and for me. 42:27 How wonderful it is 42:28 to become His son and His daughter. 42:31 That's God's will. 42:32 How is it that He will look at somebody like me, 42:35 somebody may be like yourself and say, 42:37 I want them as My son and My daughter. 42:41 He didn't have to come and say, 42:43 I'm gonna pick the cream of the crop. 42:44 He didn't have to say, they're too short, 42:46 they're too tall. 42:48 Almost said, another thing, I let Him go. 42:51 But He doesn't look at the outward appearance, 42:53 right? 42:54 He looked at their heart. 42:56 Every person can be a son and daughter of God, 42:58 if you decide you want to be to those who receive Him. 43:03 Open your heart, open your mind and receive Him, 43:06 is what the Bible said here, 43:08 those that believe on His name. 43:10 We'll praise God. 43:11 I'm telling, believing on His name right now. 43:13 I'm looking at God's plan right now. 43:15 I wanna follow God's plan right now. 43:18 And in this plan, John, right quick, 43:20 we realized here he begins to do, 43:22 we'll look at passage here a little bit. 43:23 But we did in John Chapter 1. 43:26 But John corrects two errors, 43:28 they're very popular in the world today. 43:30 We have to be very careful with here, 43:32 we want to just hit those real quickly as we go on. 43:34 You know, John has corrected now the errors we call about, 43:37 two beliefs by some. 43:39 Notice, because Christ died for all men, 43:42 all will be saved. 43:45 That's a popular belief. 43:47 The Bible says, "He died for all men." 43:50 They said, "Well, because He died for all men, 43:51 then all of us are gonna be saved, 43:52 doesn't matter how we live what we do." 43:54 Oh, don't fool yourself. 43:57 Don't fool yourself. 43:58 Whatever you do, don't fool yourself. 44:00 That's not what the Bible teaches at all. 44:02 And just as false 44:04 is the belief that God predestined certain people 44:07 to be saved and others to be lost. 44:10 That is a lie from the devil. 44:14 If it's predestination, then why do I even try? 44:17 Because you either are, you aren't. 44:19 You have nothing to say in the matter. 44:20 That's not what the Bible teaches. 44:23 So if you're one of those today, 44:24 bless your heart that says, 44:25 "Why should I even try anymore?" 44:27 You know, the churches too are preaching predestination 44:30 and so, either I am or I'm not, 44:32 regardless of what I do, I don't do, 44:33 either I'm gonna be saved, or I'm gonna be locked. 44:35 That's not what the Bible teaches. 44:36 That's a lie from the devil. 44:38 And we need to look at it a little clearer. 44:40 John clearly declares the decision factor 44:43 lies with each person. 44:46 Did you get that lies with each person, 44:48 because he states in there as many as received Him. 44:53 Did you get it, as what? 44:55 The key word, as many as received Him. 45:00 Anyone, not just you can, you can, and this group can, 45:03 not at all. 45:05 As many those receive and believe? 45:08 I mean, you can read Isaiah 55:1 45:11 about predestination. 45:12 And it talks about, "Every one," he said, 45:15 "Everyone that thirsteth come." 45:18 What? 45:20 If you're thirsty, just come. 45:22 That's not predestination at all. 45:24 If anybody ever get thirsty, if you're thirsty, then come. 45:27 Are you thirsty for the Word of God, 45:28 then you're a candidate for this. 45:31 Ephesians 1:5 is another quick passage, 45:34 "Every individual can by faith 45:37 be adopted as children." 45:40 Isn't that wonderful? 45:41 We're adopted into the family of God, 45:44 everyone that wants to be. 45:47 That's what the Bible teaches. 45:48 Revelation 22:17 also tell you, 45:50 woo, it said, "Whosoever will," 45:53 I like that. 45:55 Whosoever will may come. 45:57 If you don't like that, there's something wrong. 46:00 I'm about ready to jump over a pew, 46:01 because you know what? 46:02 Because it's good. 46:04 Because it says that, 46:05 he's not looking at any outward, anything, 46:07 He just said, whosoever will, may come. 46:10 That's an open invitation, I love that. 46:12 Thank You, God, for that. 46:13 It's a wonderful promise. 46:16 See, something we need to really get 46:17 fasten in our minds, 46:19 God does not make us His sons and daughters. 46:23 Listen carefully. 46:24 God does not, what? 46:26 He does not make us His sons or His daughters, 46:29 but He enables us to become. 46:32 This is beautiful. 46:33 He enables us to become. 46:36 Why? 46:38 Because we make a choice. 46:40 There's a decision there, plan of salvation. 46:42 Gives a man an opportunity 46:45 to know and to choose and to serve God. 46:48 We need this. Praise God! 46:51 Because all men, what? 46:53 We've all sinned and come short, we're lost. 46:56 He deserves death. 46:58 But now we become sons and daughters of God. 47:03 Oh, how wonderful that is. 47:04 Another opportunity, another chance. 47:06 There's story told of the small boy, 47:09 was swimming one day. 47:11 Something happened, he got a cramp. 47:14 And he was out in the deep 47:15 and his feet wouldn't touch the bottom. 47:17 He wasn't very old, eight, nine years old. 47:19 And all of sudden he was swimming, 47:21 all of a sudden he went under once, 47:22 he come up screaming for help, no one. 47:25 Went down, no help. 47:26 Came back up the second time, "Help! 47:28 I gave, my arms, my legs are cramping, like, I can't," 47:32 and he started to go down for the third time. 47:33 And when he did, he felt a strong hand 47:36 grabbing by the shoulder and lifted him up, 47:39 and swim with him right back 47:41 and put him out on the shore. 47:43 And certainly the man was a real man. 47:44 The man had seen him, 47:46 when the boy first came up, 47:47 the first time he screamed, I need some help. 47:49 The man did not hesitate. 47:51 Jesus never hesitated on the cross. 47:53 I'm telling you right now. He jumped in. 47:55 He went into the deep water for you. 47:57 He went out way to the deep for me. 48:00 And this man went out. 48:01 He didn't worry about himself, 48:03 but he grabbed the boy and he put him on there, 48:04 it's very interesting. 48:05 He made sure the boy was okay. 48:09 And the little boy looked up and said, "Thank you, sir. 48:11 Thank you. Thank you for saving me." 48:15 Man said, "Well, you're welcome. 48:16 You're welcome, Son. You're very welcome." 48:18 Now, I want you to see to it 48:22 that you're worth saving. 48:28 I want you to see to it that you are worth saving. 48:34 Listen... 48:38 the pastor 48:40 never forgot these words. 48:45 Why? 48:47 For he was that boy. 48:50 Interesting. 48:53 A good question might be asked 48:56 today. 49:00 Am I worth saving? Am I worth saving? 49:09 Well, evidently there's good news. 49:13 Evidently, God thinks you're worth saving. 49:18 God gave all, right? 49:20 He gave all of heaven. 49:22 He gave Jesus, you know the answer. 49:23 He gave His Son. 49:26 He made an investment in you, 49:29 a big investment, 49:31 and He expects a return. 49:36 Review and Herald 11- 4-1890, says this... 49:40 We have about five minutes or so left, stay with me. 49:43 Review and Herald 11- 4- 1890 says, 49:46 "Faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ." 49:50 Faith can do what? 49:52 Whose merits do we need? 49:54 Are you righteous? 49:55 Is there anything you can do? No. 49:57 There's nothing we do, we're lost, 49:58 one of the death penalty. 50:00 We need a Savior. 50:01 We need somebody to stand up 50:03 and only Jesus can stand up for us. 50:05 I need to have His merits in the judgment. 50:07 I have none. 50:10 If anything ever good ever, ever, ever comes from you 50:12 or ever, ever comes from me, 50:14 know that it's not you, and it's not me, 50:17 it's Christ who lives in, our hope. 50:20 We take credit for things that, "Oh, this is good. 50:23 Oh, that sounds good. Oh, this looks good." 50:25 It's Jesus, if there's anything good 50:27 because we are sinful. 50:28 There's nothing good. No, not one. Think about it. 50:31 We can't do any good on our own. 50:34 Hope, I'm not hammering that too much. 50:36 But I wanna try to give you encouragement, strength to say, 50:38 "I've never done anything any good. 50:40 My life's never been any good. 50:41 I've never helped anyone." 50:42 There's hope for you, 50:44 and there's hope for me today to be born again, 50:47 to have a new life in Jesus Christ. 50:51 How can I, 50:53 a lost sinner 50:55 become a child of God. 50:58 This is where the rubber meets the road. 51:00 How can you today make that change? 51:02 Well, the Bible is very clear in Acts 3:19. 51:05 It says, notice this, Acts 3:19, 51:07 says, "Repent," do what? 51:09 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, 51:12 that your sins may be blotted out, 51:13 when the times of refreshing 51:15 shall come from the presence of the Lord." 51:17 This right here would take too long, 51:18 we don't have enough time to go into this 51:20 because there's the sequence and order 51:22 in what's being talked about here. 51:25 And so we had to be very careful, 51:26 the blotting out of the sins, 51:28 the time of refreshing or the latter rain experience, 51:30 and certainly the coming of Jesus Christ, 51:32 there are three things, it's all tied together here. 51:34 If we need to go into, well, we don't have time do it. 51:37 Three events tied together. And you know what? 51:39 These things are more important in our day 51:41 I think there were in the days of the apostles. 51:44 They're for us today. 51:46 These last days, listen to this, 51:48 these last days are our present days. 51:53 Did we get that, church? 51:55 These last days are our present days. 52:01 That means, now we can expect the coming of Jesus Christ. 52:06 We now we can become a child of God. 52:10 Now regardless of our previous life, 52:13 now there can be a change of heart, and mind, and life. 52:17 There can be a turnabout, 52:19 there can be a turnaround to God. 52:23 Acts 9:35, says, notice this, 52:26 "All that," what? 52:28 It's all Jesus, notice, 52:29 "All of us that saw Jesus turned to the Lord. 52:32 Did you get it? 52:33 If you present Jesus turned to the Lord. 52:35 Acts 26:20 says, 52:37 "They should repent and turn to God 52:39 and do works meet for," what? 52:41 "Repentance." 52:43 Acts 11:21, 52:44 it said a great number, 52:45 "Believed and turned unto the Lord." 52:49 Today is the day 52:50 that we turn unto the Lord. 52:52 This is the day that we've come, 52:54 we believe that He exists, we believe in Jesus Christ. 52:57 We're confessing our sins. 52:59 We wanna be converted, we wanna be born again. 53:01 In John Chapter 3, there's no doubt about it, 53:03 of the water and of the Spirit. 53:05 Oh, friend, I'm telling you right now, 53:07 we need to make that change and do it today. 53:09 In 2 Corinthians 5:17, 53:11 very powerful verse, you know that, 53:13 "Therefore, if any man be in," what? 53:15 "If be in Christ, he is a," what? 53:17 "He's a new creature, behold," what is it? 53:19 "Old things are passed away, behold, all things become new." 53:22 Today is the day they become all new 53:25 because you're going to confess those things, 53:26 you're going to put them at the foot of the cross, 53:28 that burden that you carry 53:29 is now it's been lifted off of you. 53:31 Jesus carries that burden. 53:33 As long as He carries you, He carries me, 53:35 He carried us to the cross, 53:37 He didn't back down, 53:38 He didn't back up, He willing to nail, 53:40 He laid them out there and said, 53:41 "Kenny's going to need me." 53:44 Put your name in there, put your name in there. 53:48 They can't make it unless I go through with this. 53:50 I love them enough, I'm willing to do it. 53:55 And, dear friends, I'll say today, you say, 53:57 "Well, how do I know if I've been born again?" 53:59 How do you know you really made that change? 54:01 Is your burden lighter, 54:03 that you turned over to Jesus right now? 54:05 There'll be evidences of that change. 54:07 There's no doubt about it. 54:08 All those wrong habits and all those wrong practices, 54:11 they'll all be changed. 54:14 You're gonna show that you've been connected 54:15 with Jesus Christ. 54:17 I know you made that decision right now. 54:19 This is new life. 54:20 And I want to pray for it right now. 54:22 Twenty some seconds left, I wanna pray with you. 54:23 Would you pray with me, please? 54:25 Our loving Father in heaven, 54:26 We thank You for Your precious Word. 54:27 Thank You for the choice, decisions 54:29 that many have made right now. 54:30 They're starting right now, today is a new life in You. 54:32 They're gonna be hid in Christ. 54:34 Thank You for the forgiveness of sin. 54:35 Thank You for the promise of Your return, 54:36 in Jesus name we pray. 54:38 Amen. 54:40 It's always good to spend time with you 54:41 in study of God's Word. 54:43 And we love you, 54:44 we appreciate everything that you do. 54:46 Continue to pray for us. We're gonna pray for you. 54:48 We'll see you next time. 54:51 Hello and welcome back. 54:53 We so pray that you were encouraged 54:55 and blessed by today's message. 54:57 Again, it was entitled, 54:59 "How You Can Become a New Person." 55:02 And what a beautiful promise in the passage 55:05 that Pastor Kenny read to us from 2 Corinthians 5:17. 55:10 Let's read it again. 55:11 "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, 55:14 he is a new creature. 55:16 Old things are passed away, 55:18 behold, all things are become new." 55:22 This passage lets us know 55:24 that it's not how or where we begin our lives, 55:28 but most definitely, it's how we end our lives, 55:32 that will determine our eternal destiny. 55:35 The grief we suffer over the past failures 55:38 that we have made can be, will be forgiven, 55:42 and eventually even forgotten, 55:45 as we become a new creature in Christ. 55:47 We can be born again, 55:49 we can become the new person in Christ Jesus, 55:53 we can be the person Christ intended us to be 55:57 in order to be a citizen in the earth made new. 56:01 I wanna be there. 56:03 I know that Pastor Kenny wants to be there. 56:06 And we are praying that it is your desire, 56:08 the desire of your heart as well to be a citizen 56:12 in God's eternal kingdom. 56:14 What an awesome, absolutely awesome, 56:17 loving, caring and merciful God that all of us serve. 56:22 And if you would like 56:23 your own copy of this message today 56:26 for your study library, to listen to again, 56:29 we would love to send it to you. 56:31 All we ask is that you consider giving us 56:33 a love gift of just $8 or more 56:36 and when you order just one, 56:38 we will include one of these free Bible study Guides, 56:42 entitled "Sharing God's Love Makes You Happier, 56:45 What the Bible Says." 56:47 And don't forget, today's message 56:49 was also message number 23 out of 25 Bible studies 56:54 in this series, 56:56 and if you order all 25 of them, 56:59 we will include five of these Bible studies. 57:02 In this series, you'll find topics such as 57:05 Improve Your Marriage, the Healing of Sorrow, 57:08 The Lord's Day, and many, many more in this anointed series. 57:12 So we await your call. 57:15 Don't hesitate, call Behold the Lamb Ministries today. 57:18 If you want all 25, 57:20 we're offering those for a love gift 57:21 of just $175 or more. 57:25 Call us here in the United States, won't you? 57:27 At area code (618) 942-5044, that's Central Time, 57:33 or you may write us at Behold the Lamb Ministries, 57:36 PO Box 2030, Herrin, Illinois 62948. 57:40 Email your order 57:42 to BeholdTheLambMinistries @yahoo.com 57:44 or visit us on our website 57:47 at BeholdTheLambMinistries.com. 57:49 Friends, until next time, may our precious Lord 57:52 continue to richly bless you and yours. |
Revised 2019-05-30