3ABN Australia Homecoming

Knowing God As Saviour

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants:

Home

Series Code: HCAU

Program Code: HCAU180013A


00:01 Music...
00:19 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming.
00:24 Music...
00:30 Thank you for joining us... 3ABN Australia Homecoming
00:35 at Avondale Memorial Church in New South Wales, Australia
00:40 and we're glad that you could be with us all today.
00:43 Today, we have a fantastic program, Ryan,
00:45 we're sure that you're going to be happy.
00:48 One of the leading evangelists in Australia
00:51 will be speaking to us,
00:52 his name is Geoff Youlden
00:54 and he has a program on Focus on God's Word
00:59 that we did quite some time ago...
01:01 15 years I think... something like that,
01:03 that program is still being aired around the world
01:06 and is still bringing people to the Lord
01:08 so, I'm looking forward to
01:10 what Pastor Geoff Youlden has to present to us
01:13 and his topic is: Knowing God as Savior.
01:16 Who's doing the special item?
01:18 Absolutely, you know, I heard this group
01:19 just a few moments ago,
01:21 there's going to be a fantastic group to come out here
01:22 in just a few moments.
01:24 The title of the group is: Redeemed.
01:25 In fact, when I saw it, I thought of that song,
01:27 "Redeemed how I love to proclaim it... "
01:30 I'm sure they sing that song, it's a beautiful song,
01:32 but "Redeemed"
01:33 and they're going to be singing a special number for us
01:35 entitled: To Him That Sits on the Throne.
01:38 Thank you.
01:42 Pause...
01:45 more pause...
01:54 some more pause...
01:58 To Him Who sits on the throne
02:02 and to the Lamb
02:07 Be praise and honor and glory and power
02:12 To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
02:18 Be praise and honor and glory and power
02:23 For ever and ever
02:27 For ever and ever..
02:33 For ever and ever...
02:37 For ever and ever
02:41 For ever and ever..
02:44 For ever and ever...
02:50 To Him who sits on the throne
02:53 and to the Lamb
02:58 Be praise and honor and glory and power
03:02 To Him who sits on the throne
03:06 and to the Lamb
03:10 Be praise and honor and glory and power
03:14 Forever and ever
03:18 For ever and ever..
03:23 For ever and ever...
03:27 For ever and ever
03:31 For ever and ever...
03:36 For ever and ever
03:40 To Him who sits on the throne
03:44 and to the Lamb
03:49 Be praise and honor and glory and power
03:53 Amen, Amen,
03:58 Amen, Amen
04:02 Amen, Amen...
04:08 Amen
04:16 Amen.
04:22 Audience: Amen... clapping.
04:32 Pause.
04:39 Well I know that you have been blessed by: Redeemed.
04:42 In my church in Stanmore in Sydney,
04:44 they are members of our church
04:46 so you can begin to appreciate
04:48 the good music that comes from Stanmore.
04:50 Today, in our Series,
04:52 we are continuing on: On Knowing God as our Savior.
04:57 The more I study the gospels,
05:01 the more I am getting convinced
05:05 on the wonders of the way Jesus spoke...
05:09 how He taught people
05:11 and every preacher
05:15 that's got a little bit of intelligence,
05:18 realizes that Jesus is the base upon which we model ourselves
05:23 and today I want to look at one of the most amazing incidents
05:28 in the life of Jesus that illustrates Jesus as our Savior.
05:33 Would you open your Bibles with me please
05:35 to John the 8th chapter...
05:37 Mathew, Mark, Luke and John... the 8th chapter...
05:41 and I want to read a story
05:43 that's very, very familiar to everybody here,
05:45 in fact, it's probably one of the best known stories
05:50 in the New Testament
05:51 simply because it deals with an issue
05:54 that we're all very familiar with.
05:58 John chapter 8 and verse 1.
06:01 "But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
06:04 Now, early in the morning He came again into the temple
06:08 and all the people came to Him,
06:10 and He sat down and taught them. "
06:12 If you can just imagine...
06:14 and what I try to do when I'm reading these stories
06:16 is to put myself into the picture
06:19 and I try to imagine the situation,
06:21 Jesus has just come down from the Mount of Olives,
06:23 the temple is in front of Him glistening there in the sunlight
06:28 the early morning sunlight...
06:30 and He comes down... and the people join Him by the hundreds
06:35 and He's sitting there and He's beginning to teach them
06:38 all about the things of God
06:40 when suddenly, something happens,
06:43 verse 3...
06:45 "Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman
06:50 caught in adultery
06:51 and when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him,
06:55 'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery...
06:59 in the very act.
07:00 Now, Moses and the Law commanded us that such should be stoned,
07:05 what do you say?'
07:07 Then they said testing Him
07:10 that they might have something of which to accuse Him. "
07:14 Now, once again,
07:16 if you can imagine this poor lady,
07:19 the whole thing was a setup, there's no question about that
07:24 and they had dragged her...
07:27 you can imagine her hair is disheveled,
07:29 probably she's wrapped in a sheet.
07:33 I would like to think she was wrapped in a sheet.
07:36 Some would suggest that she was naked.
07:38 Pause.
07:40 And they dragged her out in front of the crowd
07:43 and they began to make these accusations against her,
07:48 now, they had no care for the woman, whatsoever.
07:50 The only purpose they had in mind
07:54 when they brought this woman to Jesus was to trap Jesus.
07:57 I mean, after all, if they had been concerned about the woman,
08:02 they would have come on their own to Jesus
08:04 without the crowd...
08:07 or, it may be even better to suggest
08:10 that they talked to Jesus on His own about the situation,
08:14 but they were trying to trap Jesus
08:16 and they felt that they had a perfect example
08:21 of how to trap Jesus.
08:24 Now, they had tried trapping Jesus before...
08:26 you can remember that on one occasion,
08:28 they had money...
08:30 and they tried to suggest to Jesus,
08:32 "Whose money is this?"
08:34 And Jesus said, "Whose figure is on the money?"
08:38 and He said those famous words,
08:40 "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
08:43 and unto God the things that are God's. "
08:45 And then on another occasion,
08:46 another very hot subject today as well as back then
08:51 on marriage and divorce
08:52 but Jesus was able to deal with those
08:57 and when they brought the Law of Moses up and they said,
09:00 "Well, Moses said that this woman ought to be stoned. "
09:04 Now, they did to the Scriptures what many people do today
09:09 and that is, they selectively selected
09:11 some sections of the text
09:12 and they didn't remember what the rest of the text said
09:15 because if they had read the full text,
09:17 the text said that both the man and the woman
09:20 needed to be stoned
09:21 and the question is, "Where was the man?"
09:24 We don't... read anything about him
09:27 and obviously, they weren't interested
09:29 in following even the Law of Moses,
09:31 the only interest they had was to trap Jesus
09:35 and they had the perfect trap because if Jesus had said,
09:40 "Well, in this case, I think that the best thing would be...
09:44 is just to let the woman off... "
09:47 Then immediately, the Jews would have been at Jesus
09:51 because the Jews wanted to uphold the Law of Moses.
09:55 On the other hand, if He had said,
09:57 "Yes, take her out and stone her"
09:59 then they would have reported that to the Romans
10:02 and the Romans would have had something to say
10:04 because you'll remember that the Jews at this time
10:08 were under Roman rule.
10:09 That means, that they could not carry out
10:13 their own capital punishment
10:14 which was... for the Jews... was stoning to death.
10:17 The Roman method of capital punishment as we know
10:20 was crucifixion
10:21 but the Jews could not crucify
10:25 or could not carry capital punishment out for anybody
10:29 because of the fact that they were under Roman rule
10:33 so, it was a perfect trap
10:34 and they had worked this out with their cunning lawyers
10:37 for weeks before...
10:39 and they felt that they had Jesus this time
10:41 because whichever way He turned,
10:44 there was no way that they felt that He could get out of it
10:48 then, let's read on
10:50 because it gets more interesting as we read,
10:52 verse six again, "This they said, testing him,
10:55 that they might have something of which to accuse Him.
10:59 But Jesus stooped down,
11:02 and wrote on the ground with His finger
11:04 as though He did not hear.
11:06 So when they continued asking Him,
11:09 He raised Himself up and said to them...
11:11 these immortal words,
11:14 "He who is without sin, throw a stone at her first. "
11:19 It's interesting that Jesus certainly kept His cool
11:25 under these circumstances and as He was writing there...
11:28 and you can see Him kneel down on the ground
11:31 scratching in the sand...
11:33 there are three times that I can remember
11:37 that Jesus wrote in the Bible, the first time was... when?
11:41 When did Jesus write the first time?
11:43 When He gave us the Ten Commandments, that's right,
11:47 then He wrote the second time, when was that?
11:50 Pause.
11:52 You remember in Belshazzar's Hall...
11:55 MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
11:58 then, this is the third time He writes and it's interesting
12:02 that every time He writes,
12:04 He's dealing with the issue of judgment
12:07 and He writes here,
12:10 and as Jesus was writing, of course,
12:15 as the record just tells us,
12:16 He seemed to be completely ignoring what they were saying,
12:19 and they felt that His ignoring them
12:22 meant that He didn't have an answer,
12:24 so they kept pressing Him.
12:26 "Master, what are you going to say about this?"
12:29 And they kept agitating against Jesus
12:32 and the second time, Jesus stands up
12:34 and this is when He made that immortal statement,
12:39 "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone. "
12:43 Pause.
12:45 Then the record goes on to say further in verse 8,
12:49 "And when he stooped down and wrote on the ground,
12:53 then those who heard it being convicted by their conscience
12:57 went one by one out beginning with the oldest
13:04 even to the least. "
13:06 Don't you just love a God like this?
13:09 A God who can handle a situation...
13:12 not doing away with the Law,
13:14 Jesus, never in any way,
13:16 suggested that the Law wasn't important.
13:19 He still maintained that this woman had sinned...
13:23 she had sinned...
13:25 and he admits that she had sinned
13:27 but, He mixed that with mercy and with grace
13:34 and He then highlighted... as He continued to write the hypocrisy
13:38 of those who were making these accusations
13:41 and as they began to come over and the Bible says,
13:45 it was the oldest who came first
13:47 and I would like to think that the reason the oldest came first
13:49 is because they were wise enough to realize
13:53 that if they stayed around,
13:54 things were going to get pretty hot
13:55 and so, when they saw what He was writing,
13:58 their face paled... the blood ran out of their face
14:02 and the stones dropped from their hands
14:05 and they left.
14:06 You see, this poor woman...
14:09 if you can just see her in your eye
14:10 and I'm sure you can... standing there shivering...
14:13 not so much because of the coldness
14:17 but because of the fear that was associated with this.
14:20 She would have been trembling
14:22 and as Jesus made this statement,
14:25 "He who is without sin, you pick up the first stone. "
14:29 She braced herself, because you can imagine
14:32 standing in front of a crowd being embarrassed...
14:36 highly embarrassed with this whole situation
14:39 and so, she was looking down and as Jesus said,
14:43 "He who is without sin, cast the first stone... "
14:46 immediately, she began bracing herself
14:49 for the first stone to be thrown
14:51 because you see, the Pharisees were judge and jury.
14:55 There was no appeal against their Law
14:59 and so she dared not lift her eyes up
15:03 and then Jesus made the statement, verse 10,
15:10 "When Jesus raised had Himself up
15:12 and saw no one but the woman,
15:14 He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?
15:17 Has no one condemned you?
15:20 She said, 'No one Lord. '
15:23 And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you:
15:27 go, and sin no more. '"
15:30 I would consider some of those words
15:34 to be the most beautiful words in the Bible,
15:36 pause...
15:39 to give us all hope...
15:40 "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. "
15:45 Just imagine the feelings she would have had
15:50 at that particular time
15:51 and we are told that her heart melted.
15:54 You know, Jesus said,
15:58 "He who is forgiven much loves much. "
16:01 And this woman became Jesus' most devoted follower
16:05 for the rest of her life
16:07 because of the kindness and the grace
16:10 that was extended to her at that time.
16:13 The message that God has for us today is,
16:16 is, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. "
16:20 Because this story is just as relevant today
16:24 as it was, back in those days.
16:27 Unfortunately, there are many people who have grown up in life
16:32 with perhaps a bad relationship with their father
16:34 and as a result of that,
16:37 they imagine God with a big stick...
16:40 just make one step out of line,
16:43 and God will clout you.
16:44 This story presents a very different picture of Jesus.
16:47 It presents one full of grace and truth
16:52 and I want to meditate just for a little while today
16:56 on the words, "Neither do I condemn you,
17:01 go and sin no more. "
17:03 You know, if you can't sleep at night,
17:06 it's a good thing to think of those words
17:08 and roll them around in your mind
17:11 because the devil will haunt us for our past.
17:15 There's not one of us here
17:17 who doesn't have flashbacks to their past
17:19 and the devil makes sure that those memories are kept alive
17:25 and when sometimes you can't sleep at night
17:27 and you're thinking about some of these things,
17:29 then let's remind ourselves "Neither do I condemn you,
17:33 go and sin no more... "
17:34 because it is guilt today that is cracking millions.
17:38 Many a person who has deep depression...
17:43 it's a result of unresolved guilt
17:46 and Jesus here is dealing with this.
17:49 Once again, I'm just so thankful that I believe in a God
17:55 that I have a Savior who's so willing to forgive.
17:59 A Savior that is so willing to accept us as we are.
18:04 In fact, there's a verse of Scripture
18:07 that I would like you to read, if you wouldn't mind,
18:09 turning to Isaiah the 56th chapter
18:13 Isaiah chapter 55...
18:18 I'm sorry, chapter 55 and verse 6.
18:22 If you haven't got this marked in your Bible,
18:24 I would like to encourage you to mark it in your Bibles,
18:28 it says, "Seek the LORD while He may be found,
18:31 call upon Him while He is near:
18:34 Let the wicked forsake his way,
18:36 and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
18:38 let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him;
18:42 and to our God, for He will... " what?
18:45 "abundantly pardon. "
18:47 You know, I read of an experience a few years ago
18:51 of a family that were living out in the country
18:54 and something happened in the family
18:56 and the son got so annoyed with the parents
18:59 that he went out and slammed the door and said,
19:02 "I will never ever darken this door again. "
19:05 And for years, the parents never knew where he was.
19:10 They received no phone call, no letters... nothing
19:14 until one day, his mother's habit was,
19:18 she went out to the letter box...
19:20 by this stage, she had a walking stick
19:22 and she walked out to the letter box
19:24 and gathered the letters
19:25 and as soon as she picked up a letter,
19:28 she saw one with familiar handwriting
19:30 it was her son... she knew it
19:32 and so, as quickly as she could hobble into the house,
19:38 she got hold of father and said,
19:40 "Father, look at this, this is a letter from our son. "
19:43 And they quickly opened it up
19:45 and the letter went something like this,
19:48 "I would like to come home,
19:52 I'm sorry for what took place many years ago,
19:56 but I don't know whether you will accept me
20:00 but if you will accept me,
20:05 would you hang something white out on the... the clothesline. "
20:11 He said, "As I travel past, I can see the back of the house
20:16 and if you will hang something white on the clothesline,
20:20 it will tell me that you will accept me. "
20:23 Pause.
20:25 When the parents read this,
20:29 with tears streaming down their faces,
20:31 they went to the linen cupboard, they got every white sheet...
20:34 every white towel...
20:36 everything white they had in the cupboard
20:38 and they went out and hung it on the line
20:40 and when I read that experience, I thought,
20:42 "That's exactly what Isaiah here is talking about...
20:45 'But our God will abundantly pardon. '"
20:48 Pause...
20:50 But there's something else in this story
20:53 that we don't often dwell upon
20:54 and that is the second part of what Jesus said to the woman.
20:57 Remember He said, "Neither do I condemn you... "
21:02 what's the last part?
21:04 "Go and sin no more. "
21:07 Very often, we don't dwell upon that section
21:10 of what Jesus said
21:12 but I want to suggest to you
21:14 that that section is just as much part of the gospel
21:16 as is the beginning of what He said.
21:20 And the story teaches me
21:22 that Jesus will not only pardon me,
21:25 wonderful as that is...
21:26 but He goes further than that,
21:28 He will give me power
21:29 so I can do the right things in the future.
21:32 Pause...
21:34 "Go and sin no more... " is that possible?
21:36 "Is that possible?" I ask,
21:39 everywhere I go today,
21:42 I'm finding that people try to tell me
21:44 that nobody can keep the commandments any longer.
21:48 Pause...
21:49 "It's impossible not to sin. "
21:52 Is that true?
21:54 Because as I read the Bible,
21:57 I find that that seems to be a lie.
22:00 A friend of mine... some years ago
22:03 was going into Long Bay Jail...
22:06 Long Bay Jail is one of Sydney's big...
22:08 Australia's big... oldest jails
22:10 and he was going into Long Bay Jail
22:14 on a weekly basis to preach to the inmates.
22:17 And this particular day when he went in to preach
22:21 with the... with the Chaplain alongside him,
22:25 the Chaplain said to him, "You know those three fellows
22:28 that always sit down the front
22:30 when you take the meetings?"
22:32 He said, "Yes. "
22:34 He said, "They won't be here next week when you come,
22:36 they're going to be released. "
22:38 And my friend said to the Chaplain,
22:40 "Well, I'm very happy about that... "
22:42 But then the Chaplain said, "But they'll be back... "
22:44 And my friend said,
22:47 "What do you mean, 'they'll be back?'"
22:48 "Well... " he said, "when the boys were young,
22:51 their father taught them to steal
22:54 and they would be given a sack...
22:56 and if that sack...
22:57 in the evening when they bought it home wasn't full,
23:00 they would get a father of a hiding. "
23:03 He said, "They are professional thieves...
23:07 Kleptomaniacs is the word... professional thieves. "
23:11 And he said, "As soon as something goes missing,
23:14 the police will be on their doorstep. "
23:17 Pause.
23:19 You see, it would be one thing for God to forgive us,
23:22 pause...
23:24 if God only forgives me for my sins
23:28 and pardons me for my sins, that's not going to help me
23:33 because what am I going to do tomorrow?
23:36 I'll do the same thing...
23:38 and what about the next day?
23:39 The same thing...
23:41 And the next day? The same thing.
23:42 I need vastly more than forgiveness...
23:45 wonderful and glorious and foundational
23:48 as that truth is... of forgiveness.
23:50 I need more than that.
23:52 That's what Jesus was talking about here
23:54 when He said, "Go and sin no more. "
23:56 Because He not only forgave the lady for her sins,
24:01 but then he gave her power to be able to do
24:05 what was necessary to do.
24:08 Now, Jesus told a whole parable about this,
24:11 this truth is so important
24:15 that Jesus spent a whole parable talking about it.
24:19 Would you come over to Matthew chapter 22 with me
24:23 and we'll have a look together at this parable,
24:28 Matthew chapter 22 and verse 1.
24:32 It says that Jesus opened His mouth
24:35 and began to teach them by parables.
24:38 Verse 2,
24:39 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king,
24:42 who arranged a marriage for his son... "
24:45 you know, in the Bible... a marriage...
24:49 the king setting forth a marriage...
24:51 this is an illustration of the marriage
24:54 between Christ and His church.
24:58 Christ is the bridegroom... the church is the bride...
25:03 and this is what this is talking about...
25:05 the reason we know that it's talking about the second coming
25:09 is because when we go over to Revelation chapter 19,
25:13 we find there this story is given more details...
25:16 and we'll have a look at that in just a moment,
25:20 but so, the history of both the Jewish race
25:23 and the Christian Church is given in these few verses.
25:27 Notice verse 3, it says, "He sent out His servants
25:31 to call those who were invited to the wedding
25:33 and they were not willing to come.
25:35 Again he sent out other servants saying,
25:38 'Tell those who are invited...
25:41 see I have prepared my dinner...
25:43 my oxen and fatted cattle are killed
25:46 and all things are ready, come to the wedding. '
25:49 But they made light of it, and went their ways,
25:52 one to his farm, another to his business:
25:54 And the rest seized his servants,
25:56 treated them spitefully, and killed them. "
26:00 What's this referring to?
26:03 Pause.
26:05 It's referring to the Jewish Nation
26:07 because Jesus sent them an invitation
26:09 to come to the wedding feast,
26:11 but they wouldn't accept that invitation.
26:14 In fact, they killed the prophets
26:16 as the Bible says here,
26:18 and the servants...
26:19 and then the rest of the verse goes on to say in verse 7...
26:22 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious:
26:24 and he sent out his armies... destroyed those murderers,
26:29 and burned up their city. "
26:31 What's the city referring to?
26:32 It's referring to the destruction of Jerusalem
26:36 in 70 A.D.
26:38 Pause.
26:40 When Jesus said, "Not one stone will be left
26:42 upon another. "
26:44 Pause.
26:46 And where every tree for miles around Jerusalem
26:51 was cut down and used as a cross to crucify Jews...
26:55 over one million Jews died in the destruction of Jerusalem
27:00 and yet not one Christian died
27:02 because they remembered what Jesus said,
27:04 "When you see the army surround Jerusalem,
27:06 get out... " and they fled
27:08 and they fled up to a little place in northern Jordan today
27:12 called Pella
27:14 and as I said, not one Christian lost their life
27:17 in the destruction of Jerusalem but over a million Jews died.
27:21 Pause.
27:23 then it says in the next verse, verse 8...
27:29 "Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready,
27:34 but those who were invited were not worthy. "
27:38 Now, that's an interesting expression
27:41 because I often hear prayers being said in church
27:47 amongst us...
27:49 and the expression is,
27:51 "We are not worthy... please make us worthy. "
27:53 Have you ever heard people pray like that?
27:55 Pause.
27:58 In other words, their concept of worthiness
28:00 is based on their behavior.
28:02 But tell me, what was worthiness
28:07 according to this parable and what Jesus is teaching
28:10 what is it based on?
28:11 Pause.
28:12 What made a person worthy in the story?
28:16 It wasn't their behavior, what was it?
28:19 Pause.
28:21 Well, let's have a look.
28:24 In verse 8, then he said to his servants,
28:29 "The wedding is ready but those who were invited
28:31 were not worthy. "
28:34 So, what made them worthy?
28:36 Whether they had accepted the invitation.
28:40 That's the basis of our worthiness...
28:42 not what we do and what we don't do...
28:45 it's whether we've accepted the invitation
28:48 and another interesting expression in this verse
28:52 is the fact that... it says down here in verse 10,
28:57 "So those servants went out into the highways,
29:00 and gathered together all whom they found,
29:04 both bad and good... "
29:07 I find that interesting.
29:10 Pause.
29:12 Two groups of people... the bad and the good...
29:14 so that would include us all wouldn't it?
29:17 It includes the bad who know they're bad
29:20 and it includes the bad who think they're good
29:22 pause...
29:25 and there were many of those around Jesus
29:27 and there are still many today who are modern Pharisees...
29:31 but Jesus in love... because He loved the Pharisees
29:35 the same as He loved everybody,
29:37 said, "This invitation goes out to both the bad and the good. "
29:42 So not one of us is excluded from this wonderful invitation.
29:47 Pause.
29:50 And the Bible says in verse 10,
29:51 "The wedding hall was filled with guests. "
29:56 Pause.
29:58 So there had been a lot of people who responded positively
30:01 to the invitation to come to the wedding.
30:03 It was full.
30:05 Pause.
30:08 Now there's something else that we must understand
30:10 about an ancient wedding
30:11 different to our day
30:13 and probably most parents of the girls
30:17 would agree that they're glad they don't have to do
30:21 what was done back in those days
30:22 because you see, when a king or a very rich person
30:27 put on a wedding,
30:29 they not only sent out to the invitees the invitation
30:35 but they also sent out the wedding garment to wear.
30:41 Pause.
30:43 Now, I know that that would have solved some problems
30:46 because we just received an invitation to a wedding today...
30:56 not that the wedding's going to be today
30:58 but that I received the invitation today...
31:00 it was handed to me...
31:02 and when I handed this to my better half,
31:10 pause...
31:12 do you know what the expression was?
31:15 All the women will know... what was it?
31:18 "What am I going to wear?"
31:20 Pause...
31:23 Now, immediately, this solved that problem
31:27 because not only was the invitation given
31:31 but also, the... the garment...
31:34 now, you can imagine the expense the king went to
31:39 in providing everybody... not only the wedding...
31:44 but also the garment.
31:46 Pause...
31:49 So there are two things in the story
31:52 that are important for us to understand...
31:53 one is the invitation...
31:55 and then, secondly, the garment.
31:58 Eventually, verse 11 goes on to say,
32:00 "When the king came in to see the guests... "
32:02 he wanted to have a look over his... his invitees...
32:06 "When the king came in to see the guests,
32:09 he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. "
32:13 I might say that he came in to examine the guests
32:17 or to look the guests over...
32:20 before the marriage took place, before the second coming...
32:25 he comes in to examine and to look at...
32:29 "And he sees there a man... " verse 11...
32:32 "that did not have on a wedding garment. "
32:36 Pause.
32:39 Now, you can just imagine,
32:40 this fellow would have stood out like a sore thumb.
32:42 I mean, everybody else is dressed beautifully
32:45 in this garment that the king supplies,
32:47 and here's this guy dressed in his ordinary clothes.
32:51 Stand out... so the king goes over to him immediately
32:56 and says... what does he call him?
32:57 "You scoundrel... "
32:59 no... verse 12... "So He said to him,
33:02 'Friend, how did you come in here
33:04 without a wedding garment?'"
33:06 Pause...
33:08 more pause...
33:10 "How did you get in here without this garment on?"
33:15 And he gave the man an opportunity of giving a reason,
33:19 perhaps... perhaps he said, "I understand Australia Post
33:24 they're not always very reliable... "
33:25 he was giving him a reason...
33:28 the man could have said,
33:30 "Well, I don't know anything about this wedding garment,
33:32 what do you mean 'a wedding garment'
33:33 I've never heard of such a thing!"
33:35 pause...
33:36 but he didn't say anything like that... what did he say?
33:39 Nothing...
33:41 he was speechless.
33:44 And it's only then that we are told in verse 13,
33:49 "And the king said to the servants,
33:50 bind him hand and foot,
33:52 take him away and cast him into outer darkness... "
33:55 there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "
33:58 Only then, is the man thrown out,
34:02 the issue then with the story is... in the wedding...
34:07 "Do the guests have on the garment?"
34:12 Now, the question is, "What is this garment
34:16 that features so importantly in this story,
34:20 what does this garment represent
34:22 that all the guests had to wear?"
34:24 All right, come over to Revelation chapter 19
34:29 and what I love about the Bible
34:30 is, the bible always explains itself
34:32 and when we get over to Revelation,
34:34 which is Jesus' book,
34:35 so you're not surprised to find that the interpretation
34:39 of many of the gospel stories
34:40 as the interpretation of some of the statements in Revelation
34:43 are given in the gospels and the gospels in revelation
34:45 because the two fit together.
34:47 Have a look at Revelation 19 and verse 6,
34:51 "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude,
34:55 as the sound of many waters,
34:57 and as the sound of mighty thunderings,
35:00 saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. "
35:04 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give Him glory
35:08 for the marriage of the lamb has come,
35:12 and his wife has made herself ready. "
35:14 So, this is just before Jesus returns.
35:17 Pause...
35:21 "Wherefore were assured into the kingdom of God... "
35:23 verse 8... "And to her
35:27 it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen,
35:31 clean and bright...
35:34 for the fine linen is the righteous... " what?
35:39 Pause.
35:41 "acts or actions of the saints. "
35:45 Did you read that correctly?
35:47 Pause...
35:50 That seems very much different to what sometimes
35:52 we hear preached
35:54 pause...
35:55 righteous acts... of the saints.
35:59 Now, it's interesting that in Jeremiah 23 verse 6 it says
36:05 that the Lord is our righteousness.
36:09 Which means that any acts or actions or works
36:13 are not our works but are the Lord's works
36:17 done through us...
36:19 that's what it means... the Lord is our righteousness...
36:23 pause...
36:25 there are two aspects I have noticed
36:28 as I have studied the New Testament
36:30 about the work of Christ
36:33 and both are part of the gospel.
36:37 To emphasize one against the other,
36:41 is a perversion of the gospel.
36:43 The first aspect is the work of Christ for us
36:50 which He did on Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago
36:56 and we can never exaggerate the importance
36:59 of what Jesus has done for us...
37:01 pause...
37:04 but I want to tell you something else
37:05 that as I have read the New Testament through,
37:07 I have found that there are four times more references
37:13 to the work of Christ in us than the work of Christ for us.
37:19 Now, I am not suggesting in any shape or form
37:21 that the work that Christ did for us on Calvary
37:24 is to be minimized... that is not what I am saying,
37:27 but I am saying that the Bible has emphasized the fact
37:30 that Christ wants to do a work in us.
37:32 Pause...
37:34 And it's very important...
37:37 and there are two parts of the gospel
37:40 both are of faith and both are gifts from Jesus.
37:45 Pause...
37:48 I'm thinking about this man in the parable
37:51 that we have just read, he wanted to be at the wedding
37:54 but he didn't want to put on the garment, is that right?
37:56 You know, in my work of evangelism
37:59 over the years,
38:00 I have found it relatively easy to get people to accept Jesus.
38:04 I have literally seen thousands upon thousands
38:08 of people who have come to the front...
38:11 who have signed cards...
38:12 who want to accept Jesus as their Savior,
38:14 pause...
38:18 that is not such a difficult thing
38:21 to get a decision in that area,
38:24 however, when I talk to those same people
38:29 and I teach them about God's requirements for us
38:35 and the way that God wants us to live
38:39 and the life of obedience and the life of overcoming
38:45 "I couldn't shoot those people out of the hole quicker,
38:51 if I had a machine gun. "
38:52 Pause...
38:54 You see, it's the same story that Jesus was telling...
38:56 they want to come to the... to the wedding...
39:00 they hear about all these wonderful things
39:02 and we want to go there, isn't it wonderful...
39:04 but they don't want to wear the garment
39:07 and the Bible says,
39:09 "No one is going into heaven without the garment. "
39:12 Not just the invitation... it's both...
39:18 pause...
39:20 and there's something more important
39:22 than us getting to heaven...
39:24 important as that is...
39:26 and I know, for me, I want to go to heaven
39:29 and I'm sure you do too
39:31 but there's something more important than that
39:34 and that is... to bring honor and glory to God.
39:38 That's the most important thing
39:41 and the reason that God wants to work in us
39:44 and His righteousness needs to be in our hearts
39:47 is so that we will bring honor and glory to Him...
39:51 that's why He's given us the health message.
39:53 Pause...
39:55 Because God doesn't want us to be sickly...
39:57 He wants us to radiate good health...
39:59 He wants us to understand so that when people see us,
40:03 "What Mitch, why are you so well?"
40:05 And we are able to talk to them about Jesus.
40:08 That's why He's given us all the truths in the Bible
40:10 so that as our lives are changed,
40:13 we become honest and upright and caring.
40:15 That impresses people... even secular people.
40:18 Pause...
40:21 Bring honor and glory to God.
40:22 You know the 23rd Psalm... all of us know it by heart...
40:27 it says, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness... "
40:32 what's the rest of the verse say?
40:34 "for His name's sake. "
40:38 In other words, He gives me righteousness
40:40 so that I can honor His name.
40:42 Pause...
40:44 That's the reason,
40:46 and there are two things that we must look out for,
40:51 one is: to accept the invitation by God's grace
40:56 but secondly, to accept the garment by God's grace
41:01 and both are gifts.
41:03 Pause...
41:07 The Bible says in Revelation 3 verse 5,
41:09 "To him that overcometh,
41:12 will be clothed in white raiment. "
41:15 The Bible puts "overcoming" and the "garment" together.
41:19 So when the king comes in to investigate,
41:24 could I use that word,
41:25 or examine the guests before the second coming,
41:29 the thing that He's looking for
41:31 is whether we've got the garment on.
41:33 Pause...
41:35 Not the invitation
41:37 because you wouldn't be there in the first place
41:39 if you hadn't accepted the invitation, is that right?
41:41 So, that's not the issue in the judgment,
41:44 the issue in the judgment is
41:46 whether you've got the garment on
41:47 and that's where the rub is.
41:49 Those who had accepted the invitation
41:53 and continue to accept the invitation,
41:57 also accept the wedding garment
42:00 and continue to accept the wedding garment.
42:02 Let me illustrate...
42:05 a friend of mine was telling me that he applied for a job
42:09 in one of our big universities,
42:11 pause...
42:12 and obviously, he had to show his academic achievements...
42:18 what papers he'd written
42:19 and his teaching ability and so forth
42:22 and finally, he got the job.
42:24 Pause...
42:27 When he was talking to the academic leaders
42:30 in the university, they said to him,
42:32 "You have done well,
42:34 we are very happy with what you have supplied us,
42:37 but there is one more condition before you can become a teacher
42:42 and a lecturer here at our university. "
42:44 And he said, "Well, what's that?"
42:46 He said, "Every person who becomes a professor here
42:51 has to pass a TB test.
42:55 Now at that particular time,
42:58 TB was a bit of a problem in that area
43:02 and he... the academic dean and so forth
43:05 said to my friend that the Board does not want people...
43:12 its professors... coughing TB germs
43:17 or sneezing TB germs all over the students.
43:21 Pause...
43:24 Now, the TB Test had nothing to do
43:28 with the acceptance of him as a teacher at the University,
43:31 nothing to do with it...
43:33 he was accepted on the basis of his papers that he had supplied
43:38 but there was another condition before he became a teacher
43:42 and that is, that he had to pass the TB test
43:47 pause...
43:49 and so it is.
43:51 When Jesus gives to everyone
43:53 and invites everyone to the marriage supper of the lamb.
43:59 There is nothing that will ever be added to the invitation
44:04 that He has given.
44:05 Nothing... nobody can add a single thing
44:11 to what Jesus has already done.
44:14 It is complete... a 100% complete
44:18 but there is another condition before we get into heaven
44:25 and that is... we've got to have the garment on
44:27 because God doesn't want people
44:35 coughing "sin germs" all over the universe
44:39 and over His pristine heaven.
44:41 God has got to make sure that before we go into heaven,
44:47 we're not going to continue
44:49 the life that we're living down on this life
44:52 up there in heaven.
44:54 To illustrate...
44:57 imagine if a person wasn't converted
44:59 and they hadn't got the garment on,
45:01 and as they go into the city,
45:03 the first thing they see is this beautiful golden street.
45:06 Pause...
45:09 What do you think is going to go through their mind?
45:12 They're unconverted...
45:14 What would happen?
45:16 they'd go down to the heavenly Bunnings...
45:20 buy a hammer and chisel and start chipping away...
45:25 isn't that right?
45:26 Absolutely...
45:28 and as for the music, wowee!
45:30 Imagine going home to heaven
45:33 listening to music that we love here
45:35 and you're being used doing the heavy metal and so forth...
45:39 and you get home and listen to those heavenly choirs...
45:43 God's stainless music...
45:45 because unless a person's heart is changed,
45:50 they would never be happy in heaven's environment.
45:53 That's why we've got to have the garment on
45:55 pause...
45:58 because we've got to be made ready for the environment.
46:00 We've got to be happy in that environment.
46:03 Pause...
46:07 When talking to people
46:08 about the overcoming life and victory,
46:11 there are some of us who don't understand that
46:14 that's part of the gospel
46:16 because for some of us,
46:18 the gospel is defined by justification alone.
46:22 Pause.
46:24 Pardon... in other words...
46:26 what Jesus did on the cross, is the totality of the gospel.
46:30 I want to suggest to you today
46:32 that that is a perversion of the gospel...
46:34 that is a half-measure of the gospel.
46:38 The gospel is more than forgiveness...
46:42 thank God for that...
46:43 He offers me power to change my life
46:46 so that I will be happy in heaven in that environment...
46:51 that I'm not born naturally to enjoy.
46:54 Pause...
46:57 What I find that these people who want to emphasize
47:02 of only what Jesus has done on the cross,
47:05 is that they don't understand
47:07 that the robe is as free as the invitation.
47:11 Pause...
47:13 Imagine if we had to sew our garments.
47:17 There would be some of us that would be quite adept at that,
47:21 there'll be others... be hopeless...
47:23 we wouldn't be able to do it
47:25 but there's not one stitch of human devising in that garment.
47:30 Everything is a gift... God has done it for us...
47:33 all He wants us to do is to be willing to put the garment on
47:36 and if we put the garment on,
47:38 He then works in my life to change my life
47:41 as He wants me to be.
47:43 Pause.
47:48 So both justification and sanctification
47:52 are total gifts from God...
47:54 pause...
47:56 and some of us have not understood that
47:59 that's why we grit our teeth when we speak,
48:01 we come to Jesus... we accept Jesus...
48:03 and then we think from this moment onwards,
48:06 "I'm going to grit my teeth... I've got to bite the seed...
48:08 I've got to not eat chocolate anymore... "
48:10 or not swear anymore or what ever it happens to be.
48:14 No, that's not the way it's done at all...
48:16 we come to Jesus as we are and as we put the robe on,
48:20 it is His life that will change us...
48:23 His righteousness works on the inside
48:25 and changes me from the inside out.
48:28 Pause...
48:32 more pause...
48:34 It's one reason why some people
48:35 try to bring their theology down to their own performance
48:39 and because they haven't got victory in their life,
48:42 they try to wind their theology around
48:46 their lack of performance
48:49 and their lack of understanding of the gospel record.
48:53 You know that beautiful hymn, "Rock of Ages"
48:57 one of the most wonderful hymns...
49:01 by the way, we've got to sing that while we're here,
49:02 pause...
49:05 you remember the words,
49:09 "Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
49:13 Let me hide myself in thee;
49:17 Let the water and the blood,
49:21 From Thy riven side which flowed,
49:23 Be of sin... " what's the next word?
49:26 "the double cure... "
49:27 What's a double cure?
49:29 Well, the rest of that hymn says,
49:31 "Cleanse me from its guilt... " that's justification...
49:36 "and its power" that's sanctification...
49:39 Even the hymn writer understood it.
49:42 Pause...
49:44 because the two must never be separated
49:47 and the worst thing that's happened in the last 30 years
49:50 is that it's been separated in some people's minds
49:54 and it's brought all manner of tragedies...
49:57 pause...
50:02 the garment is as free as the invitation.
50:06 Can I read you a statement
50:09 that I'm going to put on the screen now?
50:11 From "Desire of Ages"
50:14 it's the most wonderful statement
50:17 outside the Bible on this subject.
50:20 Let's just have look at it because it is amazing... look,
50:25 "All true obedience comes from the heart.
50:32 It was heart work with Christ.
50:37 If we consent,
50:40 He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims,
50:45 so blend our hearts and minds
50:48 into conformity to His will,
50:51 that when obeying Him
50:55 we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. "
50:58 Let me just pause here
51:01 before we read the next section of the paragraph.
51:03 tell me this...
51:05 if...
51:12 just put it back please to the previous... yes...
51:15 when it says, "When obeying Him,
51:17 we shall be but carrying out our own impulses... "
51:19 let me ask you this,
51:21 if I'm carrying out my own impulses,
51:25 will it be easy to be obedient or hard to be obedient?
51:28 pause...
51:30 Easy or hard?
51:32 Pause...
51:35 wait a moment, I'm carrying out my own natural impulses,
51:39 is it going to be easy or hard?
51:41 Easy...
51:42 pause...
51:45 look, do you look at the statement again,
51:47 "so blend our hearts and minds into conformity with His will,
51:53 that when obeying Him... "
51:55 that is... doing the right thing,
51:57 we will but be carrying out our own impulses,
52:02 that says to me... it's easy...
52:07 pause...
52:11 let me give another illustration,
52:13 pause...
52:17 if you came and offered me a cigarette this afternoon,
52:21 it wouldn't even tempt me an iota.
52:25 You couldn't tempt me in a 1,000 years
52:30 to smoke a cigarette.
52:31 Why?
52:34 Because I hate the things...
52:36 and it's easy for me not to smoke
52:39 that's not a battle at all...
52:41 I wish I could say that about everything in my life
52:43 but the facts are that when it comes to cigarette smoking,
52:47 I don't have to have a battle, it's easy.
52:49 Pause.
52:51 Let me read you the rest of the statement, look,
52:52 "The will, refined and sanctified,
52:57 will find its highest delight in doing His service.
53:00 When we know God
53:03 as it is our privilege to know Him,
53:05 our life will be a life of... " what?
53:08 "continual obedience. "
53:10 Would you suggest that that is supporting the idea
53:16 the Bible says, "to him that overcomes... "
53:18 pause...
53:20 "Go and sin no more... "
53:21 Absolutely.
53:23 "Our life will be a life of continual obedience.
53:26 Through an appreciation of the character of Christ,
53:29 communion with God,
53:30 sin will become hateful to us. "
53:33 I want to tell you, "If you hate sin,
53:36 sin is easy to overcome. "
53:39 Pause.
53:41 Now, does that mean
53:43 that we will never have any more battles to fight?
53:45 No... because as we get closer to God,
53:48 God shows us more things in our lives that are unlovely,
53:51 isn't that right?
53:53 But as God reveals to me His will and purpose
53:57 and He gives me power and I spend time...
54:00 what is the key in that last part of the paragraph?
54:04 What she's saying there is the key to being victorious
54:08 in the Christian life, what is it?
54:13 Yes, through... when we know God
54:16 as it is our privilege to know Him,
54:19 our life will be a life of continual obedience.
54:23 In other words, I don't need to spend my time
54:27 trying to be good,
54:28 and trying not to do the wrong thing
54:30 or trying to do the right thing,
54:34 my effort in the Christian pathway
54:37 must be put into communion with God
54:40 and if I spend time with God,
54:42 He with His righteousness
54:44 will change my life from the inside... out.
54:48 Isn't that wonderful good news?
54:50 I tell you, we ought to be shouting from the hilltops
54:54 because it is the gospel in truth
54:58 and I feel so desperately sorry
55:02 that those who belong to this circle knew theology
55:06 who don't understand that basic understanding of the gospel.
55:11 The two things must go together
55:14 and sin becomes hateful to us.
55:17 People say to me,
55:19 "Well, I can't obey... I've tried...
55:23 well, I can't... "
55:25 well, the paralytic couldn't walk either
55:27 until Jesus told Him to, isn't that right?
55:30 Then he jumped up and he walked.
55:33 Someone says, "I can't live a life of overcoming... "
55:36 nor could Moses push the Red Sea back
55:39 but he did...
55:41 because God gave Him the power,
55:43 Joshua couldn't have made the sun stand still,
55:48 but he did...
55:49 through the power of God.
55:50 Gideon could never have beaten the Midianites with 300 men,
55:54 but he did... through the power of God.
55:57 Peter could not have walked on water,
56:01 but he did... through the power of God
56:04 and I want to remind you of that wonderful verse,
56:08 in Jude 24, "Now unto Him who is able
56:11 to... " what?
56:12 "keep you from falling... "
56:14 do you believe that?
56:16 Better than the Bible...
56:18 keep you from falling and to present you
56:21 "faultless" before His throne
56:25 with exceeding joy. "
56:27 What a wonderful promise that is...
56:29 that's the gospel in verity
56:30 pause...
56:33 and as I come to Jesus day by day
56:35 and I accept the invitation,
56:39 I accept Jesus into my life.
56:43 I also accept the garment in the same way.
56:46 "Lord, give me... thank you for accepting me today
56:50 and thank you for that wonderful garment. "
56:54 As I keep accepting Jesus on a daily basis,
56:58 He gives me power so that I can choose
57:02 to do the right thing
57:03 and I trust that God will help us
57:06 to accept that gospel truth today
57:09 because it has changed millions
57:12 and it will change your life too.
57:14 Let's bow our heads in prayer.
57:16 "Our Father in heaven, I just want to thank you today
57:19 for the wonderful good news of the gospel.
57:22 I thank you that the gospel includes
57:25 what Jesus has done for us so wonderfully on the cross
57:29 and what He's going to do for us day by day
57:32 as our lives are changed and He gives us power.
57:35 Bless us to this end,
57:36 keep us faithful until the wonderful day
57:38 when we will see those clouds roll back in the sky
57:41 when Jesus returns,
57:42 I pray for Christ's sake, amen. "


Home

Revised 2019-04-02