His Harvest is Ready

What's That In My Looking Glass?

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Pr. C.A. Murray

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Series Code: HHR

Program Code: HHR000002


00:35 Almighty Father,
00:40 You alone are holy.
00:46 You are my refuge,
00:50 I will trust in You.
00:56 You are a tower...
01:01 a mighty fortress.
01:06 You are my strength and shield;
01:11 You are God.
01:24 Almighty Father,
01:30 You alone are holy.
01:34 You guide my footsteps
01:38 that I may not fall.
01:45 In joy or sorrow
01:50 I will exalt You.
01:55 You are my righteousness,
01:59 You are God.
02:06 Almighty Father,
02:12 You alone are holy.
02:17 You are Creator;
02:21 You are all in all.
02:27 Yours is the power,
02:32 yours is the glory,
02:37 yours is the majesty.
02:50 You
02:54 are
02:57 God.
03:04 Amen!
03:07 Tonight:
03:08 What's That In My Looking Glass?
03:14 Shall we pray. Father, please
03:17 open up our hearts now as we move into Your Word.
03:24 Teach us this night
03:25 and help us, Mighty Father, to be hearers
03:30 and doers of Your Word
03:33 because we want to be like Jesus.
03:36 We thank you in Jesus' name, Amen.
03:42 Looking glass... A looking glass is
03:45 an 18th century term
03:48 for what we normally call a mirror.
03:54 A mirror is a very handy thing.
03:59 It does not say anything
04:03 and yet it can tell us quite a lot.
04:08 There are certain things that we do
04:11 that we would find very difficult if we didn't have
04:16 a mirror. And as such, we may think that mirrors
04:21 are modern inventions. But the truth is
04:25 they are really quite old.
04:27 Archaeologists have found mirrors
04:31 dating back to the Greco-Roman era... long before the
04:35 days of Christ.
04:36 Ancient mirrors were made of highly-polished copper
04:40 or silver or bronze or tin.
04:44 There are all kinds of mirrors.
04:46 There are plain mirrors and concave mirrors
04:49 and convex mirrors and spherical-aberration mirrors
04:53 I found and parabolic mirrors and convergent-beam mirrors
04:58 and all kinds of mirrors.
05:00 Mirrors, mirrors upon mirrors.
05:04 Modern mirrors trace their origin to a fellow by the name
05:08 of Joshua von Liebing
05:10 who made the first modern mirror in 1835.
05:16 Mirrors are very interesting things.
05:18 They reflect light.
05:21 They tell the truth.
05:23 And so the truth is that we humans
05:26 have been checking ourselves out in mirrors
05:29 for a long time.
05:32 We need mirrors.
05:34 You have to have a mirror.
05:37 For most men, we need a mirror to shave.
05:42 Now I have developed the ability to shave
05:45 without a mirror. Very easy...
05:48 I start the razor here and just take it on around.
05:52 But for most men, they need a mirror to shave.
05:56 We need a mirror to tie our tie correctly
05:58 and make sure that that knot is just in the middle.
06:02 You've got to have a nice little mirror to make sure
06:07 that the knot is right where you
06:11 want the knot to be.
06:17 Getting our clothes straight requires a mirror.
06:20 For many women, applying make-up and face powder
06:23 requires a mirror. Now, men like to think
06:27 that women hog the mirror more than men.
06:30 But if the truth be told
06:32 there are a lot of men who spend a lot of time
06:35 in the mirror also.
06:37 In our home, luckily we have 1-1/2 baths
06:41 because if we didn't, we'd have trouble in the morning.
06:45 Irma likes time in the mirror.
06:48 I like time in the mirror.
06:49 And we decide who's going to get what mirror, you know,
06:52 as we get up. The first person in the big mirror
06:54 gets the big mirror. The other person takes the little mirror.
06:56 That's how it works for us.
06:58 There is a famous picture.
07:00 A little video vignette in New York City
07:03 of a woman driving down the highway at some...
07:08 oh, I guess, 70 or 80 miles an hour...
07:11 She's got the visor down.
07:14 She's steering the car with her elbows.
07:18 In her one hand she has a powder puff and powder.
07:24 In the other hand she has a mascara wand
07:28 and she's driving with her elbows while applying make-up
07:32 driving down the highway.
07:34 She cannot see where she's going.
07:36 Her eyes are fastened on the mirror
07:39 as she is doing her face driving down the highway
07:42 at 70 miles an hour.
07:44 And the insurance company that made that commercial
07:46 put up words that said:
07:48 "She's out there, and you don't want to meet her. "
07:54 That is their advertisement for not driving
07:57 without insurance.
08:00 Though most people don't need it,
08:02 we tend to brush our teeth in front of a mirror, don't we?
08:04 You don't really need to but it's just a habit.
08:08 We use full-length mirrors to see how our outfits look.
08:12 We comb and style and brush our hair
08:16 in front of the mirror.
08:17 I, of course, don't have that problem...
08:19 but many of you do!
08:21 And if you ever make the mistake
08:24 of appearing in public with one black sock
08:28 and one brown sock,
08:30 or one black shoe and one brown shoe,
08:34 or a piece of spinach is in your teeth,
08:37 the first thing they will say is:
08:40 "Didn't you look in the mirror? "
08:44 Didn't you see what you looked like before you left the house?
08:49 On the other hand,
08:52 there are some people who are always in the mirror.
08:57 Umm-hmm.
08:58 They never pass a mirror without taking
09:03 a little glance.
09:07 A mirror doesn't say anything, ladies and gentlemen,
09:11 and yet it has the ability to tell us when we look good
09:15 and when we look bad.
09:18 It doesn't invent anything.
09:21 It simply reflects what's there.
09:25 And a mirror's value
09:29 is directly proportional
09:31 to its accuracy in reflecting what it sees.
09:36 In other words, if a mirror doesn't tell you the truth,
09:41 it's not of value.
09:43 A good mirror reflects the image as the image is.
09:49 It doesn't tell you anything.
09:51 It doesn't take away, it doesn't add.
09:54 It simply reflects the image.
09:56 That's what makes a mirror valuable.
10:00 If you had a looking glass or reflecting pool,
10:04 you wouldn't know what you looked like
10:07 until you looked in that mirror.
10:11 Good mirrors don't lie.
10:16 I say it again:
10:18 good mirrors do not lie.
10:23 What you are is what you see!
10:27 And if you don't like what you see,
10:31 don't blame the mirror.
10:35 Can you say Amen? Amen.
10:37 I say it again:
10:39 if you don't like what you see,
10:42 it's not the mirror's fault.
10:47 Umm-hmm.
10:50 Because the mirror doesn't invent anything.
10:54 It simply tells you
10:57 if you're good or if you're bad.
11:02 Our first text is Titus chapter 2. What book did I say?
11:06 I'm in the second chapter of the book of Titus...
11:09 Titus chapter 2 and we're going to be reading verses 11 and 12.
11:13 Here we go. Titus chapter 2
11:16 verses 11 and 12:
11:40 Can you say Amen?
11:42 So then, it is grace, ladies and gentlemen,
11:46 that allows us to participate in the experience
11:50 that we call salvation. Can you say Amen?
11:53 Grace makes salvation available,
11:59 reachable, attainable, dare I say... affordable.
12:05 It is by the grace of God
12:09 that we can acquire salvation for every man,
12:13 every woman, every boy, every girl
12:15 who is now living, whoever will live,
12:20 and who has ever lived.
12:23 If someone asks you "How do I get saved? "
12:28 your answer ought to be short and sweet and simple:
12:32 "I am saved by grace. "
12:36 One of the most important texts on the theology of salvation,
12:41 justification, and sanctification...
12:44 It was the foundation text for Luther's 95 Theses -
12:48 his 95 propositions - that he nailed to the Catholic church
12:53 at Wittenberg is found in Ephesians chapter 2
12:57 verse 8. And I think next to John 3:16
13:01 it is one of the most beautiful and sublime texts
13:05 in the entire Bible. It is incredibly powerful
13:09 and liberating! It is a foundation text
13:12 for the Word of God... so let's go there.
13:13 Ephesians chapter 2... What book did I say?
13:16 Ephesians. You're with me. Ephesians chapter 2
13:19 and verse 8. It is foundational to the salvation experience.
13:23 The Bible says:
13:39 So the grace that saves us
13:43 is a God-given gift. Can you say Amen?
13:46 It's a gift... grace is a gift.
13:49 And the limousine that brings you the gift of grace
13:54 is faith. It cannot be earned.
13:57 It cannot be worked for.
14:00 It cannot be ascertained through striving.
14:05 Grace, ladies and gentlemen, is a gift
14:09 and faith is a gift.
14:12 Can you say Amen?
14:14 Ephesians chapter 3... What book did I say?
14:17 Ephesians. You're with me. You can talk to me...
14:19 it's quite all right. I'm not offended.
14:21 Amen!
14:23 Ephesians chapter 3 verses 6 and 7:
14:50 Again, the grace of God is a gift.
14:55 Grace is a gift. Say it with me.
14:58 Grace is a gift.
15:00 Now say this: faith is a gift.
15:02 Faith is a gift.
15:04 So grace is a gift; faith is a gift.
15:08 And they both come to us wrapped in a bow of love from?
15:12 God!
15:13 Now, what does this have to do
15:17 with my mirror?
15:19 Well, here's my problem.
15:22 Here's my problem.
15:24 Jesus Himself said
15:28 John 14:15
15:30 "If you love Me, keep... " What?
15:33 "Keep My commandments. "
15:35 "Keep My commandments. "
15:36 I John chapter 3 verse 2
15:39 I John chapter 3 verse 2... what book did I say?
15:42 I John 3:2. Let's turn to that.
15:55 That's how we know that we know Him.
15:58 If we keep the commandments,
16:02 it speaks of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen?
16:06 If... if you're married to a person,
16:09 there are certain things you do,
16:10 there are certain things you don't do
16:12 that are part of a marriage relationship.
16:14 Commandment keeping is part of the relationship
16:17 with Jesus. "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "
16:22 Verse 4... Verse 4 says:
16:26 "He who says I know Him and does not keep His commandments
16:32 is a liar and the truth is not in him. "
16:35 "Truth is not in him. " So... if you don't keep the commandments
16:38 and you say you love Jesus, you're not telling the truth.
16:41 Bible says you're lying
16:44 because the symbol of a relationship with Jesus
16:47 is keeping the commandments. Does that make sense?
16:50 Does it?
16:52 Yeah. Why would you say "I'm in a love relationship with Jesus"
16:56 and then Jesus says "do this for Me"
16:58 and you say: "Nope, not going to do it. "
17:02 That's like you say: "Honey, I love you.
17:04 I love you, I love you, I love you. "
17:06 And she says: "OK, give me a glass of water. "
17:07 "Nope. "
17:10 If you love me, give me a glass of water.
17:14 Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "
17:18 Well then, here's a problem.
17:22 The problem is there are commandments to be kept.
17:25 I cannot keep them.
17:28 I've got a problem.
17:30 Let's go to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 19.
17:36 Galatians chapter 3... 19.
17:39 What book did I say?
17:41 Galatians. OK, let's go:
18:01 Galatians 3:19... what purpose does it do?
18:05 The law shows us when we're right
18:11 and when we're wrong.
18:13 The law of God, then, gives us a picture
18:19 of ourselves.
18:20 That says that the law of God then is a what?
18:25 It's a mirror.
18:27 The commandments of God are a mirror.
18:31 When we look at the commandments we see ourselves
18:35 as we really are. Can you say Amen?
18:37 They don't add anything.
18:40 They don't take away anything.
18:42 They give us an accurate picture of what we look like.
18:48 I John chapter 3. We're doing a little Bible hopping.
18:51 I John chapter 3. What book did I say?
18:54 I John chapter 3.
18:56 All right. Here we go:
19:05 If you have an Old Testament -
19:07 rather a King James Bible -
19:10 it says: "Whosoever commits sin also transgresses the law
19:14 for sin is the transgression of the law. "
19:16 And of course, those of you who know Greek know
19:18 that there are several words that are translated sin.
19:20 You've got anomia, padeptoma, malusmeth,
19:23 hamartia. Hamartia means missing the mark
19:26 like you're shooting at something and you miss the mark.
19:28 The Bible says that's sin.
19:29 You've got paraptoma which means you're walking along side
19:33 the law but not on the law.
19:35 You're not walking in the footsteps of Christ.
19:37 You're walking on a parallel path... that is sin.
19:39 Then you've got anomia which is called lawlessness
19:42 which is what the text is using here.
19:44 It says "whosoever commits sin acts lawless" -
19:49 acts as though there is no law -
19:50 for sin is lawlessness. "
19:55 You have to have law, ladies and gentlemen,
19:58 to define sin.
20:00 No sin... no law.
20:05 The only reason speeding is illegal
20:09 is because somebody said 55 miles an hour
20:13 is the speed limit.
20:15 If you go above 55 miles an hour,
20:18 you're breaking the law.
20:21 I remember one time I was trying to hurry up
20:24 to get to prayer meeting, Pastor.
20:26 Going to prayer meeting
20:27 and I had my foot on the accelerator really fast.
20:30 And the New York City Police pulled me over.
20:32 And I had my clergy sign in the window.
20:36 And they said: "Are you a minister? "
20:38 I said: "Yeah. " He said: "Where're you going? "
20:40 I said: "I'm going to church and I'm a little late. "
20:42 He said: "Well, you were going about... "
20:45 Well, I won't tell how fast I was going...
20:46 I was going above the speed limit.
20:48 He said: "Do you believe in God? "
20:50 I said: "Yeah, I do. "
20:52 He said: "Well, if you don't slow down,
20:54 you're going to meet your boss... "
20:57 and he said "Have a nice day"
20:59 and he let me go.
21:00 Now I could have just tore out of there,
21:02 you know, to try to get to church fast, but
21:05 I took my time and I went right at 55... maybe 56...
21:09 maybe 57...
21:14 but I didn't speed any more
21:16 because I needed to keep the law.
21:19 We need the law, ladies and gentlemen, to show us
21:22 what sin is. Can you say Amen?
21:24 No law... no sin.
21:26 The law sets the parameters.
21:29 The law shows us when we're right;
21:31 the law shows us when we're wrong.
21:33 The law shows us when we're good;
21:35 the law shows us when we're bad.
21:38 The law, then, is a mirror!
21:41 It serves as a mirror to show us how we are.
21:46 And if you don't like what you see in the mirror,
21:51 is it the mirror's fault?
21:53 No! You've got to change the image.
21:57 The mirror just tells you the truth...
21:59 and if you don't like it, then you've got to make the changes.
22:03 The Bible says "the law of the Lord is perfect. "
22:07 Amen? "The law of the Lord is perfect. "
22:10 The problem is: we are not!
22:12 The law is perfect. The law is fine.
22:15 Law looks pretty good. The problem is... I don't.
22:19 Not the law's fault... the fault is in me
22:24 so I realize my imperfections when I go to the mirror.
22:28 I see my warts and my scabs and my acne and my
22:31 mismatched socks and the spinach caught in my tooth
22:34 and my crooked tie.
22:36 I see all of that when I look in the law.
22:38 But if I didn't have the mirror I would not see myself.
22:44 So the law, then, is a mirror.
22:46 Sometimes, you know, I hear things being preached...
22:49 as I watch television and other places
22:54 I hear things being preached
22:55 and I wonder as I hear these different theologies
22:58 "Did that guy look in the mirror before he started that? "
23:02 Did he look in the same mirror
23:04 and come up with that theology?
23:07 He's looking in a different mirror than I'm looking in.
23:12 I don't know what he's looking in.
23:16 So when I look in the mirror I see myself ugliness and all.
23:22 Now don't look at me... because the same mirror that shows me
23:25 my warts shows you yours. Amen?
23:27 So rather than looking at mine, you look in your own mirror.
23:31 Amen!
23:34 So I see myself. I see how good I look,
23:38 I see how bad I look.
23:40 I see myself as I really am.
23:45 How do I know that I'm not so good and that I look bad?
23:49 Romans chapter 3 verse 23. What book did I say?
23:53 Romans 3:23. So you're awake. You're still with me.
23:55 Romans 3:23. I know it's hot in here tonight.
23:57 It is very, very warm.
23:59 They tell me this is Chicago...
24:00 by tomorrow there could be 20 feet of snow on the ground.
24:03 So I don't know. Tonight it's warm!
24:05 But Romans 3:23 has something to say.
24:12 How many have sinned?
24:13 How many have sinned?
24:15 Everybody! "All have sinned. "
24:18 How many is all?
24:21 All.
24:22 Is there anybody in here that's not all?
24:26 So I could say in the province of southern Illinois
24:30 all ya'll have sinned.
24:33 That's what they say down in southern Illinois...
24:35 "all ya'll have sinned. "
24:37 We don't say that in New York.
24:39 We say "you-uns. " Not really... that's western New York.
24:43 All includes you and includes me.
24:47 We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
24:51 So the same mirror that says
24:53 I have sinned and I don't look good
24:56 says you have sinned and you don't look good.
24:58 The problem is: that's enough to depress me!
25:00 When I look in the mirror of God's law,
25:03 I see how bad I look.
25:04 I can come away depressed because everybody has sinned.
25:10 And then three chapters later in 6:23 it tells me
25:14 the wages of sin is... that's pretty depressing.
25:18 The wages of sin is death and everybody has sinned
25:22 so everybody deserves to... Boy, that's depressing.
25:26 God doesn't leave us in that depressing state.
25:29 Galatians chapter 3... What book did I say?
25:32 Oh, praise God! You're still with me.
25:34 Galatians chapter 3 verses 24 through 26.
25:38 Ummm... Galatians chapter 3 verse 24. Let's pick it up:
25:51 So when you look at the law and you're depressed at what you see
25:57 it's OK... because the function of this mirror
26:02 is to help me realize that my success
26:06 will be found in Jesus.
26:09 Amen? Yeah!
26:12 My success will be found in the Lord.
26:15 It's the law's job to drive us to Jesus.
26:19 The law is holy, just, and good. I am not.
26:23 How do I get right? Go to Jesus! Can you say Amen?
26:26 That's the key. So when I look in the mirror
26:29 I don't like what I see and I am forced to the realization
26:33 that I have no way to change my image.
26:38 "The law" - Romans 7:2... 7:12 rather:
26:42 "is holy, just, and good. "
26:44 Romans 7:14 says:
26:56 I'm born to sin.
26:58 That's the problem.
27:00 I've got a holy law and a holy God
27:03 and yet I am carnal.
27:05 So what do I do?
27:06 Well, Romans chapter 8 verses 7 and 8.
27:09 What book did I say?
27:10 Romans chapter 8. You're finding it for me
27:13 and finding it with me, rather.
27:14 Romans 8 verse 7:
27:28 That's... that's... that's tough.
27:31 In my flesh I can't please God.
27:33 I can't make God happy.
27:37 I look in the mirror; I see my imperfection.
27:40 There's nothing I can do about it.
27:42 I'm in a fix!
27:45 Romans chapter 3 and verse 20.
27:48 In the book of Romans, chapter 3 and verse 20:
28:00 That's the purpose of the law.
28:03 Not to depress you. Not to make you sad.
28:07 Simply to let you know where you stand.
28:10 If I... If I have this... come out with this towel on my head
28:14 and nobody tells me,
28:17 I won't know until I go and...
28:22 look. That's the function of the law:
28:25 to let you know where you stand.
28:28 And if you didn't have the law,
28:30 you wouldn't know how and where you stood.
28:32 But even plastic surgery
28:36 can't correct my faults.
28:39 Can't do it!
28:41 Go to a good dentist; get your teeth fixed. Not enough.
28:45 Tummy tuck... not enough.
28:49 Ears bobbed... not enough.
28:52 Hair replacement...
29:02 not enough.
29:04 Because the problems that I have aren't physical.
29:08 They're heart problems.
29:11 They're inside my soul,
29:13 and it takes the power of the living God
29:16 to do something about those problems.
29:20 So what's going to happen? What do I do?
29:25 Romans chapter 5 verse 8.
29:27 We're in the book of... You know, let me commend you
29:29 to read the book of Romans.
29:30 If you want to read a powerful book
29:33 that is chuck full of powerful statements,
29:37 read Paul's letter to the Romans.
29:39 Just statement after statement after statement after statement
29:42 that affirm us on our Christian walk. It is a powerful book,
29:47 and I dare say that a good Christian ought to read Romans
29:49 at least once a year. It is a powerful book
29:52 in the New Testament!
29:54 Romans chapter 5 verse 8. Here we go:
30:00 King James says commendeth...
30:13 Isn't that a powerful statement?
30:15 God didn't wait for you to get right.
30:18 God didn't wait for you to get cleaned up and perfect.
30:21 God didn't wait for you to get all nice and neat.
30:24 God died for you in the face of Jesus Christ
30:28 while you were still sinning.
30:33 Commends His love; proves His love;
30:36 demonstrates His love.
30:37 "That while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. "
30:39 I'm in Romans 5:20 now. Romans chapter 5 verse 20:
30:52 If you have a Bible and a little pen, put a line under that.
30:55 Powerful text. Incredibly powerful text!
30:59 That's a text you can plant your feet on.
31:01 "Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. "
31:06 Now that says to me - among other things -
31:09 it doesn't matter what your sin is.
31:11 You know, we like to talk about each others' sins.
31:13 Well she did that and he did that and I would never do that.
31:16 Yet you're doing something else.
31:18 Um-hmmm.
31:21 That text lets me know that it doesn't matter
31:25 what your sin is. It doesn't matter what you've done.
31:28 "Where sin abounds, grace does abound much more. "
31:34 So whatever you've done, if you confess your sins
31:38 He is "faithful and just to forgive
31:42 and to cleanse. "
31:47 "Grace aboundeth much more. "
31:48 I'm so glad for the grace of God.
31:50 Romans chapter 6 verse 14.
31:52 Romans 6:14.
32:13 Underline that text please.
32:16 The Bible is saying here:
32:17 "Sin's not going to control you anymore. "
32:20 You hear me?
32:22 Sin is not going to determine your life any more.
32:25 It's not going to have dominion.
32:27 It's not going to control your past.
32:28 It's not going to control your present.
32:30 And praise God it is not going to control your future.
32:33 Sin is not going to be the determining factor
32:36 as to where you will spend eternimy... eternity, rather.
32:39 It is not going to have dominion over your life
32:43 because you're not under the law.
32:44 Under the law does not mean that the law's done away with.
32:48 It simply means you're not left to the penalty of the law.
32:53 You don't have to suffer any more.
32:55 You see, all the law can say is:
32:57 "Murray, you need to take that towel
32:59 and wipe that sweat off your head.
33:03 That's what it says.
33:05 But it's not the mirror's fault that I've got to do the wiping.
33:09 It's my fault!
33:11 Amen.
33:12 Because if I stood up here maybe and talked very quietly
33:15 and never moved maybe I wouldn't do that...
33:16 but I can't do that, so I've got to move, Pastor.
33:21 And I get excited... praise God!
33:24 So it's not the mirror's fault.
33:26 Sin doesn't have dominion over me.
33:29 Doesn't control my future.
33:31 Romans chapter 8 verse 1.
33:33 Love this text. Love it, love it, love it!
33:36 The book is Romans:
33:45 That's what the law does:
33:47 condemns... because it tells you when you're wrong.
33:58 Isn't that wonderful?
33:59 Isn't that wonderful! They don't walk according to the flesh.
34:03 They walk according to the Spirit.
34:07 "No condemnation. " So I'm not under condemnation any more.
34:10 I'm not exceeding the speed limit.
34:13 I don't have to worry about getting a ticket.
34:15 I don't have to worry about the policeman pulling me over
34:16 because I'm not under condemnation...
34:19 I'm safe in Jesus. Praise God!
34:22 James chapter 1:25 and 2:12
34:27 call it the "law of liberty. "
34:29 Not only does the law not hold you down
34:32 it frees you. Law's not an oppressive thing.
34:35 Not something trying to hold you down.
34:37 It actually frees you.
34:39 It frees us from the tyranny... from the condemnation.
34:43 Now Pastor Disney, I want you to go in the back
34:45 and bring my little zippered blue and black case.
34:47 I've got something I want to show the folk in just a minute.
34:50 Let's go to James chapter 1 verse 22.
34:53 What book did I say? James chapter 1 and verse 22.
34:56 Coming to an end; we'll be done in just a few minutes.
34:58 Here we go: James 1 and 22...
35:13 Not enough to just hear the Word.
35:17 You've got to make changes. Thank you, Pastor.
35:20 That's just what I needed.
35:21 I'm going to use it in just a second.
35:23 We've got to be able to make changes.
35:26 We've got to hear the Word and then put it into practice.
35:31 Now let's pick it up at verses 23 and 24.
35:33 This kind of ties it all together.
35:36 Verses 23 and 24, same chapter:
35:52 He's looking at himself in a mirror.
35:56 "For he observes himself, goes away,
36:00 and immediately" does what?
36:03 "Forgets. "
36:05 You see yourself in the mirror,
36:06 you forget what you just saw.
36:09 God has told you: "Hey, man,
36:12 woman, you need Jesus. "
36:16 I do!
36:18 And then you turn around and you forget all about Him.
36:22 You go back to the things of the world.
36:25 You go back to your lifestyle
36:28 and you forget what you saw in the mirror.
36:30 But every time you turn to that mirror
36:32 that mirror gives you the same image.
36:35 It doesn't change; it cannot lie.
36:37 It will always tell you the truth.
36:39 The thing is, you've got to put into practice
36:43 what the mirror has told you.
36:45 When the law says you are outside of the law,
36:48 you've got to change.
36:50 When the policeman says you are speeding,
36:51 you've got to stop speeding. Amen? And Amen.
36:55 Now if my tie is crooked and I look in this mirror,
37:00 and I don't like this tie and I don't like what I see,
37:05 I could just...
37:08 break the mirror.
37:11 How's my tie?
37:15 I can't see it.
37:19 How's my tie?
37:20 Still crooked.
37:22 Mirror's fault? No!
37:25 Where does the change have to come?
37:27 In me!
37:29 Because every time I go to a mirror I'm going to see what?
37:32 Crooked tie.
37:34 And unless I change my crooked tie
37:39 I'll never be like I should be.
37:43 I won't be like Jesus.
37:46 So we cannot change. We should not blame the mirror.
37:51 Takes Jesus to make these changes in my life. Amen?
37:56 Now I'm going to need seven quick volunteers.
37:58 I'm going to need seven young people.
37:59 Seven young people. I need children.
38:02 Seven young people... One, two, I need some
38:04 young people really fast. Young people; need some little ones.
38:06 Young people really fast. I want you to come.
38:08 Come very quickly.
38:10 Come quickly; come quickly. Seven; I need seven of you.
38:12 OK, really fast.
38:13 Seven young people.
38:17 Seven young people.
38:20 I need seven of you.
38:24 And...
38:30 Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi...
38:33 Ha ha ha ha!
38:35 I don't believe it.
38:39 My... seven young people.
38:45 There we go... there we are!
38:48 There we are. Almost got afraid.
38:50 I thought I left this home for a second.
38:52 All right. Now, I want you to line up right here.
38:54 Just line up next to him. Straight line... give me a line
38:56 right here. Straight line.
38:57 Give me a line real fast... give me a line.
38:59 Face that way. Face those people.
39:01 You come here...
39:03 and you come here and you come here
39:05 and you come here and you come here
39:07 and you come here and you come here.
39:11 There... there!
39:14 There.
39:16 God bless you. OK.
39:20 OK. Now, I want you to hold these signs up for me
39:24 when I give them to you.
39:26 All right. Here we go.
39:27 We're going to start on the far end. Hold this up.
39:31 Just hold it right in front of you.
39:33 Can you see that? Hold it straight up in front of you.
39:35 What is that? Law.
39:36 OK. Now whenever I point to that sign I want you to say that.
39:39 Let's practice. This is the?
39:40 Law. This is the?
39:42 Law. A little louder... This is the?
39:44 Law. Amen!
39:46 The law is a transcript of the character of God.
39:50 Amen? So then, the?
39:53 Law is unchangeable.
39:55 It does not change because God does not change.
39:59 The Law is the mirror.
40:02 The mirror is the Law.
40:05 So we have the Law:
40:07 transcript of the character of God.
40:09 Now this is Sin. What is this?
40:13 Sin. This is? Sin. All right.
40:16 Sin is the transgression of the Law.
40:19 This - sin - is the transgression of the?
40:23 Law. If you don't have - Law - you don't have Sin.
40:27 So Sin is the transgression of the Law.
40:31 Praise the Lord. You got it?
40:33 No Law, no Sin.
40:36 No Law, no Sin. Amen!
40:40 You're doing well.
40:41 This is Grace. This is Grace.
40:47 Grace is pardon for Sin which is a transgression of the Law.
40:53 We need Grace because all of us commit Sin
40:57 which means all of us break the Law.
40:59 We are saved by Grace through faith
41:02 and that not of yourselves... it is a gift of God.
41:06 We are saved by amazing Grace
41:09 which is pardon for Sin
41:11 which is transgression of the Law.
41:13 Now you folks are starting to fatigue on me.
41:15 This is not that hard.
41:16 All right. Now we have Jesus.
41:22 Who is this? Jesus. Again. Jesus.
41:26 Say it with a little more oomph.
41:28 Jesus! There you go.
41:30 Jesus gives us Grace which is pardon for
41:35 Sin which is transgression of the Law.
41:37 We all need Jesus because we all commit Sin
41:42 so we need His Grace
41:44 which is pardon for Sin which is the transgression of the Law.
41:49 Uhh, Amen!
41:51 All right. Now we have Gospel.
41:55 So this is Gospel.
41:58 The Gospel is the good news of Jesus
42:01 who brings us Grace
42:03 which is pardon for Sin
42:06 which is the transgression of the Law.
42:08 The Gospel...
42:11 The Gospel condemns Sin
42:15 and Jesus condemns Sin.
42:19 So we all need Grace because Grace
42:23 is pardon for Sin which is the transgression of the Law.
42:27 Amen. Don't get tired on me. Stay with me.
42:29 Got a couple more.
42:30 All right. This is a... Preacher.
42:35 Amen.
42:38 Now, we need a Preacher to tell us about the Gospel
42:42 which is the good news of Jesus
42:45 who gives us Grace which is pardon for Sin
42:48 which is the transgression of the Law.
42:51 Amen.
42:53 The Preacher is the one who's up here perspiring
42:57 telling you about the Gospel which is the good news of Jesus
43:01 who gives us Grace which is pardon for Sin
43:05 which is the transgression of the Law.
43:09 Amen.
43:15 This is the Church.
43:18 Amen. The Church. The Church.
43:21 We are sitting in a Church listening to a Preacher
43:25 who is telling us about the Gospel
43:27 which is the good news about Jesus
43:30 who gives each of us Grace which is pardon for Sin
43:34 which is the transgression of the Law.
43:37 Make sense? It all ties together.
43:41 If you don't have this you can't have this.
43:47 So those who say this is done away for... away with, rather
43:52 are really asking for license to do this.
43:57 Amen? Yeah.
44:00 If you don't have this then you don't have that.
44:04 And people who want to do this
44:06 have got to do away with this.
44:08 But they also have got to do
44:10 away with... Jesus.
44:13 Yeah.
44:15 We cannot keep Law no matter how we try.
44:21 Can't keep the Law. Can't do it.
44:24 Cannot do it; the law condemns. We cannot do it.
44:28 Because we all Sin... and this is not...
44:32 you can't will your way out of this.
44:34 You can't say: "Today I will not sin. "
44:38 Can't do it.
44:40 Can't... Even if you lay in your bed, your mind will Sin. Um-hmm.
44:46 And if you don't Sin in deed you will Sin in thought.
44:51 Amen? Amen. Yeah.
44:54 Driving down the highway singing a beautiful song...
44:58 somebody cuts you off.
45:02 Sin! Amen?
45:07 You know, I have a friend - president of a conference -
45:10 bought a brand new Oldsmobile back in the 1990s.
45:14 Parked in front of his house, went upstairs.
45:16 Came down the next morning... all the doors were gone.
45:21 They just took the doors.
45:24 Just the doors.
45:27 Sin... He didn't say anything
45:31 but he sure thought about it!
45:36 You can do this in thought and in deed.
45:39 Amen? You can Sin in your heart.
45:43 And God reads the intent of the heart.
45:48 So you can leave the Church feeling on top of the world...
45:51 feel like you could conquer the world... and somebody will
45:54 say something or do something and immediately you will Sin.
45:58 That's why you need Grace. Yeah!
46:01 Because Grace is pardon for Sin
46:06 which is the transgression of the Law.
46:08 Part of the justifying experience.
46:10 The moment you say "I give my life to Jesus, "
46:14 you get credit for righteousness. Amen?
46:16 That's justification. The instant you say
46:19 "Jesus, I give my heart to You, "
46:21 He gives you Grace - um-hmm - and that includes pardon for Sin
46:26 at that second. And then that same act of Grace
46:30 allows the Spirit of God to work in you
46:33 and through you and with you
46:37 so that you actually become sanctified...
46:40 which means you actually DO get better
46:44 and better and better.
46:46 Christ at the justification process pronounces you
46:50 better and good. And then He sets about through Grace
46:55 to make you what He has already declared you to be.
46:58 Isn't that wonderful?
47:00 Isn't that great?
47:01 But it doesn't start until you look into the Law.
47:07 The mirror, the Law. And the Law says
47:11 "Hey man... hey woman,
47:14 hey boy, hey girl...
47:16 you've got a problem.
47:18 You need to go to Jesus. "
47:22 You need to go right here
47:25 and He will give you Grace... marvelous Grace.
47:30 Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
47:32 John, come on up.
47:34 I want you to sing, and I know we're running short of time
47:38 but we may have to go out on this.
47:39 I'm going to ask him to go out on this song
47:41 umm, because it's a little longer than we have time left.
47:44 But I want him to sing this song because it speaks
47:47 what we're talking about. John, sing the song for us please.
48:09 Time measured out my days.
48:16 Life carried me along.
48:23 In my soul I yearned
48:27 to follow God
48:30 but knew I'd never be
48:35 so strong.
48:37 I looked hard at this world
48:41 to learn how heaven
48:45 could be gained.
48:50 Just where I began
48:55 where human effort
48:58 was all in vain.
49:06 Were it not for grace
49:13 I can tell you where
49:18 I'd be: wand'ring down
49:23 some pointless road to nowhere
49:27 with my salvation up to me.
49:34 And I know how that would go...
49:40 all the battles I would face.
49:48 Forever running
49:51 and losing the race...
49:55 were it not for grace.
50:09 How many want to say by standing with me
50:11 "Lord, I want to look in the mirror.
50:14 And if anything in that mirror that is unlike You,
50:16 give me the strength to take it away. "
50:20 How many want to be clean and in the image of Christ Jesus?


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Revised 2014-12-17