WEBVTT 00:00:10.201 --> 00:00:13.325 Well, we're moving this morning still deeper 00:00:13.325 --> 00:00:17.015 into Romans 10. 00:00:17.015 --> 00:00:23.548 We'll read through the first 13 verses 00:00:23.548 --> 00:00:29.728 as we try to lay a bit of a 00:00:29.728 --> 00:00:33.509 contextual foundation here for what we want to look at. 00:00:33.509 --> 00:00:37.709 Primarily, this morning, I am going to be taken up 00:00:37.709 --> 00:00:45.998 with the first half of verse 9. 00:00:45.998 --> 00:00:48.434 And you'll see as we come into it, 00:00:48.434 --> 00:00:50.491 what that's all about. 00:00:50.491 --> 00:00:52.060 Verse 1 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:53.487 Chapter 10. 00:00:53.487 --> 00:00:55.275 Romans. 00:00:55.275 --> 00:00:59.701 "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God 00:00:59.701 --> 00:01:05.046 for them (that's the Jews) 00:01:05.046 --> 00:01:08.236 is that they may be saved. 00:01:08.236 --> 00:01:11.269 I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, 00:01:11.269 --> 00:01:13.695 but not according to knowledge. 00:01:13.695 --> 00:01:15.328 For being ignorant of the righteousness 00:01:15.328 --> 00:01:18.064 that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, 00:01:18.064 --> 00:01:21.869 they did not submit to God's righteousness. 00:01:21.869 --> 00:01:24.315 For Christ is the end of the law 00:01:24.315 --> 00:01:26.906 for righteousness to everyone who believes. 00:01:26.906 --> 00:01:28.468 For Moses writes about 00:01:28.468 --> 00:01:30.599 the righteousness that's based on the law, 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:32.926 that the person who does the commandments 00:01:32.926 --> 00:01:35.102 shall live by them. 00:01:35.102 --> 00:01:38.607 But the righteousness based on faith, 00:01:38.607 --> 00:01:40.034 (you see his comparison... 00:01:40.034 --> 00:01:42.706 he's comparing righteousness based on the law 00:01:42.706 --> 00:01:45.647 with righteousness based on faith) 00:01:45.647 --> 00:01:47.458 Verse 6, he says, "but the righteousness 00:01:47.458 --> 00:01:49.912 based on faith says, 00:01:49.912 --> 00:01:52.366 'do not say in your heart 00:01:52.366 --> 00:01:54.821 who will ascend into heaven?' 00:01:54.821 --> 00:01:56.757 That is, to bring Christ down. 00:01:56.757 --> 00:01:58.775 Or who will ascend into the abyss? 00:01:58.775 --> 00:02:01.493 That is to bring Christ up from the dead." 00:02:01.493 --> 00:02:03.226 Now if you weren't here last week, 00:02:03.226 --> 00:02:05.257 we looked back at Deuteronony 30 00:02:05.257 --> 00:02:06.877 where this came from. 00:02:06.877 --> 00:02:08.093 The interesting thing is, 00:02:08.093 --> 00:02:12.681 Moses is speaking about the commandment. 00:02:12.681 --> 00:02:14.415 He's speaking about the Law. 00:02:14.415 --> 00:02:17.010 What Paul does is everywhere Moses 00:02:17.010 --> 00:02:18.452 speaks about the commandment, 00:02:18.452 --> 00:02:21.993 he takes it out and he puts in "Christ." 00:02:21.993 --> 00:02:24.051 What he's doing is he's showing us 00:02:24.051 --> 00:02:27.419 that the righteousness based on the law 00:02:27.419 --> 00:02:30.245 speaks law. It speaks commandment. 00:02:30.245 --> 00:02:32.456 But he's taking Moses' own words, 00:02:32.456 --> 00:02:35.147 he's stripping it of Law and commandment, 00:02:35.147 --> 00:02:36.765 and he's putting Christ in. 00:02:36.765 --> 00:02:37.680 And he's saying, 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:39.621 the righteousness that is based by faith 00:02:39.621 --> 00:02:42.377 doesn't speak like Moses anymore. 00:02:42.377 --> 00:02:44.839 It speaks, you remember, 00:02:44.839 --> 00:02:46.453 the law came through Moses; 00:02:46.453 --> 00:02:50.292 grace and truth, they come from Christ. 00:02:50.292 --> 00:02:54.164 The speech of the righteousness which is by faith 00:02:54.164 --> 00:02:58.623 speaks different than Moses spoke. 00:02:58.623 --> 00:03:00.541 So if you wonder, what are all 00:03:00.541 --> 00:03:02.475 these words about the abyss and about heaven? 00:03:02.475 --> 00:03:04.646 Well, it's simply the words that Moses 00:03:04.646 --> 00:03:06.798 used in Deuteronomy 30, 00:03:06.798 --> 00:03:09.118 and Paul uses them to his purposes 00:03:09.118 --> 00:03:10.997 to apply to Christ, 00:03:10.997 --> 00:03:12.659 and he's saying it's near us. 00:03:12.659 --> 00:03:13.861 You don't have to go to heaven, 00:03:13.861 --> 00:03:15.270 You don't have to go into the abyss. 00:03:15.270 --> 00:03:16.644 It's right here. 00:03:16.644 --> 00:03:17.757 And as verse 8 says, 00:03:17.757 --> 00:03:18.762 What does it say? 00:03:18.762 --> 00:03:20.854 "The word is near you. 00:03:20.854 --> 00:03:22.622 In your mouth, in your heart." 00:03:22.622 --> 00:03:24.271 Again, Moses was speaking about the law 00:03:24.271 --> 00:03:26.042 that you had to do. 00:03:26.042 --> 00:03:29.847 Paul is tearing that out of it, and he's saying, 00:03:29.847 --> 00:03:31.543 that's not what I'm talking about. 00:03:31.543 --> 00:03:33.143 I'm not talking about a law you do. 00:03:33.143 --> 00:03:35.101 I'm talking about a word of faith; 00:03:35.101 --> 00:03:36.722 a word you believe. 00:03:36.722 --> 00:03:39.139 That we're proclaiming. 00:03:39.139 --> 00:03:42.336 Verse 9, "Because if you confess with your mouth 00:03:42.336 --> 00:03:43.777 that Jesus is Lord..." 00:03:43.777 --> 00:03:45.328 That's what I want to deal with today: 00:03:45.328 --> 00:03:48.172 confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. 00:03:48.172 --> 00:03:49.699 "...and believe in your heart that God 00:03:49.699 --> 00:03:51.586 raised Him from the dead, 00:03:51.586 --> 00:03:53.455 you will be saved. 00:03:53.455 --> 00:03:54.591 For with the heart one believes, 00:03:54.591 --> 00:03:56.420 and is justified; 00:03:56.420 --> 00:04:01.005 with the mouth, one confesses, and is saved. 00:04:01.005 --> 00:04:02.950 For the Scripture says everyone who believes in Him 00:04:02.950 --> 00:04:05.007 will not be put to shame. 00:04:05.007 --> 00:04:07.559 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. 00:04:07.559 --> 00:04:09.488 The same Lord is Lord of all. 00:04:09.488 --> 00:04:12.528 Bestowing the riches on all who call on Him. 00:04:12.528 --> 00:04:14.513 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord 00:04:14.513 --> 00:04:17.784 will be saved." 00:04:17.784 --> 00:04:20.928 Now, what Paul is explaining here... 00:04:20.928 --> 00:04:23.398 I know, we've got some people in here today. 00:04:23.398 --> 00:04:24.653 We've got some visitors. 00:04:24.653 --> 00:04:26.537 Maybe you're not familiar with this concept. 00:04:26.537 --> 00:04:29.859 I want to bring you up to speed real fast. 00:04:29.859 --> 00:04:32.167 There's a reason 00:04:32.167 --> 00:04:34.617 that so many Gentiles 00:04:34.617 --> 00:04:36.502 are being saved; 00:04:36.502 --> 00:04:37.886 why most Jews are not. 00:04:37.886 --> 00:04:39.660 This is Paul's theme that he started 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:42.141 back in Romans 9. 00:04:42.141 --> 00:04:44.125 He's answering the question. 00:04:44.125 --> 00:04:45.117 Because as we look, 00:04:45.117 --> 00:04:49.536 we say, hey, why are the churches 00:04:49.536 --> 00:04:52.169 mainly filled with Gentiles? 00:04:52.169 --> 00:04:54.562 When the Jews were God's people 00:04:54.562 --> 00:04:55.628 in the Old Testament. 00:04:55.628 --> 00:04:57.537 Why is that? 00:04:57.537 --> 00:04:59.934 How can that be? 00:04:59.934 --> 00:05:01.080 And Paul doesn't say, 00:05:01.080 --> 00:05:04.307 well, you're wrong if you think that's how it is. 00:05:04.307 --> 00:05:05.995 He says, no, you're absolutely right. 00:05:05.995 --> 00:05:07.748 There aren't many Jews being saved. 00:05:07.748 --> 00:05:10.296 Mostly it's Gentiles that are filling 00:05:10.296 --> 00:05:11.335 the church. 00:05:11.335 --> 00:05:12.924 And he says, there's reasons for that. 00:05:12.924 --> 00:05:15.350 In Romans 9, he says it has to do with 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:17.870 the purpose of God according to election. 00:05:17.870 --> 00:05:19.745 But here, at the very end, 00:05:19.745 --> 00:05:21.918 the last four verses in Romans 9, 00:05:21.918 --> 00:05:23.879 and how all the way through these first 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:26.674 13 verses in Romans 10, 00:05:26.674 --> 00:05:28.991 he's leading us to another reason. 00:05:28.991 --> 00:05:30.413 Not election anymore. 00:05:30.413 --> 00:05:33.676 Now he wants us to look at something else. 00:05:33.676 --> 00:05:36.270 Look, no matter who we're talking about, 00:05:36.270 --> 00:05:37.796 whether it's Jew and Gentiles, 00:05:37.796 --> 00:05:40.062 you and me, the guy down the street - 00:05:40.062 --> 00:05:41.449 it doesn't matter. 00:05:41.449 --> 00:05:43.199 There's always a reason why some 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:45.079 are being saved, 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:46.810 and others are not. 00:05:46.810 --> 00:05:53.577 In Romans 9:30, Gentiles attaining righteousness - 00:05:53.577 --> 00:06:01.194 a righteousness that is by faith. 00:06:01.194 --> 00:06:02.987 Romans 9:31 shows the Jews 00:06:02.987 --> 00:06:05.235 they're trying to get righteousness in other ways. 00:06:05.235 --> 00:06:06.329 It's not by faith. 00:06:06.329 --> 00:06:07.121 Not by faith in Christ. 00:06:07.121 --> 00:06:08.906 It's rather by keeping the Law. 00:06:08.906 --> 00:06:10.142 They were determined to be good enough 00:06:10.142 --> 00:06:11.249 by their own efforts. 00:06:11.249 --> 00:06:13.130 They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 00:06:13.130 --> 00:06:14.540 you see that in verse 32. 00:06:14.540 --> 00:06:16.002 That stone is Christ. 00:06:16.002 --> 00:06:17.459 Look, this is what was happening. 00:06:17.459 --> 00:06:21.222 The Gentiles, they're finding some street preaching guy 00:06:21.222 --> 00:06:23.045 by the name of Barnabas or Paul 00:06:23.045 --> 00:06:25.619 or Silas or Timothy - whatever. 00:06:25.619 --> 00:06:27.123 And they hear this guy, 00:06:27.123 --> 00:06:29.922 and Christ is being set forth, 00:06:29.922 --> 00:06:32.339 He's being proclaimed to them. 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:36.124 They say, "Yes!" 00:06:36.124 --> 00:06:37.686 I want that! 00:06:37.686 --> 00:06:39.058 We believe that! 00:06:39.058 --> 00:06:41.679 And they attain to the one and only righteousness 00:06:41.679 --> 00:06:44.085 by which men can be accepted by God. 00:06:44.085 --> 00:06:46.885 Christ is proclaimed on the other hand to the Jews, 00:06:46.885 --> 00:06:48.638 Paul - wherever he went, he'd go into 00:06:48.638 --> 00:06:50.109 those synagogues, 00:06:50.109 --> 00:06:51.414 most of them are saying, 00:06:51.414 --> 00:06:53.334 "No thanks. We have a Law." 00:06:53.334 --> 00:06:56.252 "We're going to keep our law." 00:06:56.252 --> 00:07:01.880 So the Gentiles attained by faith righteousness. 00:07:01.880 --> 00:07:03.210 What does that mean? 00:07:03.210 --> 00:07:04.085 Very quickly. 00:07:04.085 --> 00:07:07.750 To attain righteousness means this: 00:07:07.750 --> 00:07:11.173 The very moment, 00:07:11.173 --> 00:07:13.616 I mean the exact instant - 00:07:13.616 --> 00:07:16.150 now catch these two words, 00:07:16.150 --> 00:07:19.952 the moment someone truly and biblically 00:07:19.952 --> 00:07:22.594 believes in Jesus Christ, 00:07:22.594 --> 00:07:25.611 at that very moment, 00:07:25.611 --> 00:07:28.237 their sins are gone. 00:07:28.237 --> 00:07:29.955 Forgiven. They're washed away. 00:07:29.955 --> 00:07:33.168 They're declared 100% absolutely righteous 00:07:33.168 --> 00:07:34.641 in the sight of God. 00:07:34.641 --> 00:07:38.825 Look, do you know what that means? 00:07:38.825 --> 00:07:42.241 That means that if you came in here today, 00:07:42.241 --> 00:07:43.840 you know you're not a Christian. 00:07:43.840 --> 00:07:46.305 You're filthy, you're vile, you're full of sin. 00:07:46.305 --> 00:07:47.880 You're guilty of more wickedness 00:07:47.880 --> 00:07:50.605 than you can even remember. 00:07:50.605 --> 00:07:53.165 This is what this means. 00:07:53.165 --> 00:07:54.867 You don't have to go on this agenda 00:07:54.867 --> 00:07:56.453 to start cleaning up your life. 00:07:56.453 --> 00:07:59.684 You don't have to come to this church for five years 00:07:59.684 --> 00:08:02.504 before you can ever get right with God. 00:08:02.504 --> 00:08:04.887 What this means is you can believe 00:08:04.887 --> 00:08:08.109 on the risen Lord Jesus Christ this very hour. 00:08:08.109 --> 00:08:10.239 And the moment you do, something absolutely 00:08:10.239 --> 00:08:13.042 tremendously wonderful happens. 00:08:13.042 --> 00:08:15.295 You deserve suffering and death and wrath 00:08:15.295 --> 00:08:16.776 and hell for your sins; 00:08:16.776 --> 00:08:19.864 but the moment you believe in the Lord Jesus, 00:08:19.864 --> 00:08:25.486 all your sins are washed away that instant. 00:08:25.486 --> 00:08:28.740 By the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:08:28.740 --> 00:08:31.146 And then, God looks at you 00:08:31.146 --> 00:08:33.595 as though you have never sinned. 00:08:33.595 --> 00:08:35.310 And in fact, as though you have only 00:08:35.310 --> 00:08:39.696 and always kept His Law perfectly. 00:08:39.696 --> 00:08:42.514 Not because of a single bit of law keeping 00:08:42.514 --> 00:08:43.932 on your part. 00:08:43.932 --> 00:08:45.257 Not because you tried to clean up your life. 00:08:45.257 --> 00:08:46.589 Not because you own a Bible. 00:08:46.589 --> 00:08:48.929 Not because you came to this church for five years. 00:08:48.929 --> 00:08:50.204 You say what do I have to do? 00:08:50.204 --> 00:08:51.897 Obviously to become a religious person. 00:08:51.897 --> 00:08:53.119 To become somebody right with God, 00:08:53.119 --> 00:08:54.537 I've got to go through all this stuff. 00:08:54.537 --> 00:08:56.094 I've got to start doing good. 00:08:56.094 --> 00:09:00.036 That's not what the Scriptures teach. 00:09:00.036 --> 00:09:02.874 Perfectly righteous. 00:09:02.874 --> 00:09:04.856 In a moment. 00:09:04.856 --> 00:09:08.169 You can be the most ungodly sinister wretch 00:09:08.169 --> 00:09:10.924 that's ever come through that door. 00:09:10.924 --> 00:09:12.746 You can be sitting there with a guilty conscience 00:09:12.746 --> 00:09:14.644 in all your shame and disgrace, 00:09:14.644 --> 00:09:17.886 and in a moment, 00:09:17.886 --> 00:09:20.947 if you will look to the risen Lord Jesus Christ, 00:09:20.947 --> 00:09:22.315 in faith, 00:09:22.315 --> 00:09:25.759 in that moment, 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:29.453 you can attain righteousness. 00:09:29.453 --> 00:09:30.466 How? 00:09:30.466 --> 00:09:33.685 By believing the truth God has revealed to us 00:09:33.685 --> 00:09:34.793 about His Son. 00:09:34.793 --> 00:09:37.395 And that's what I want us to look at today. 00:09:37.395 --> 00:09:44.685 What must we believe in order to be saved? 00:09:44.685 --> 00:09:47.300 And this won't be only important for us 00:09:47.300 --> 00:09:50.751 as far as what we proclaim in our Gospel message. 00:09:50.751 --> 00:09:54.032 This will hit home with us. 00:09:54.032 --> 00:09:59.096 This has to do with a test of our own professions as well. 00:09:59.096 --> 00:10:04.575 You see, folks, mark this: 00:10:04.575 --> 00:10:08.104 Christian faith. 00:10:08.104 --> 00:10:10.645 True faith. 00:10:10.645 --> 00:10:17.861 True, saving, Christian faith has specific content. 00:10:17.861 --> 00:10:21.107 It matters what we believe. 00:10:21.107 --> 00:10:24.232 It's not enough for somebody to simply say, 00:10:24.232 --> 00:10:26.413 Oh yeah, I believe. 00:10:26.413 --> 00:10:27.451 You believe what? 00:10:27.451 --> 00:10:29.506 I believe there's a God. 00:10:29.506 --> 00:10:31.628 Well, that's nice. 00:10:31.628 --> 00:10:33.032 The devils believe that. 00:10:33.032 --> 00:10:37.076 Where's that got you to? 00:10:37.076 --> 00:10:44.575 True saving faith has very specific content. 00:10:44.575 --> 00:10:46.022 We need to ask people, 00:10:46.022 --> 00:10:46.981 what do you believe? 00:10:46.981 --> 00:10:51.194 We need to be concerned about what people believe. 00:10:51.194 --> 00:10:53.168 Listen to this, 00:10:53.168 --> 00:10:55.009 the Bible backs me up on this, 00:10:55.009 --> 00:10:57.223 we're going to see this in just a second. 00:10:57.223 --> 00:10:59.602 There is no salvation; 00:10:59.602 --> 00:11:01.875 you cannot be saved, 00:11:01.875 --> 00:11:03.896 unless you are clear about 00:11:03.896 --> 00:11:06.571 who Jesus Christ is. 00:11:06.571 --> 00:11:12.335 The Gentiles were finding salvation for this simple reason: 00:11:12.335 --> 00:11:15.366 They were clear about who Christ was. 00:11:15.366 --> 00:11:17.206 They saw Him to be Lord of all. 00:11:17.206 --> 00:11:19.225 They believed God has raised Him 00:11:19.225 --> 00:11:20.563 from the dead. 00:11:20.563 --> 00:11:22.591 They saw Him as He was. 00:11:22.591 --> 00:11:24.399 You can see Paul's very thinking 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:30.273 about this in verse 9. 00:11:30.273 --> 00:11:32.019 What does the heart do with Christ? 00:11:32.019 --> 00:11:35.165 That's what Paul's concerned about. 00:11:35.165 --> 00:11:36.764 What does your heart do with Him? 00:11:36.764 --> 00:11:38.027 It believes. 00:11:38.027 --> 00:11:40.534 What does the mouth do with Christ? 00:11:40.534 --> 00:11:41.638 It confesses. 00:11:41.638 --> 00:11:44.002 That's what hearts and mouths are for. 00:11:44.002 --> 00:11:45.206 Hearts believe. 00:11:45.206 --> 00:11:47.761 Mouths confess what the heart believes. 00:11:47.761 --> 00:11:49.763 And the pathway to salvation 00:11:49.763 --> 00:11:52.701 that opens the door wide to the Gentiles 00:11:52.701 --> 00:11:55.630 is that they believed in the heart 00:11:55.630 --> 00:11:57.740 what is true about Christ 00:11:57.740 --> 00:11:59.939 and then confessed with the mouth 00:11:59.939 --> 00:12:04.068 what the heart believes. 00:12:04.068 --> 00:12:07.150 That's what was happening, clearly. 00:12:07.150 --> 00:12:10.188 If you guys do a quick litte study here, 00:12:10.188 --> 00:12:12.277 you'll see what? 00:12:12.277 --> 00:12:15.939 Romans 9:30 - what happens there? 00:12:15.939 --> 00:12:17.957 Gentiles attaining a righteousness. 00:12:17.957 --> 00:12:20.111 How are they attaining it? 00:12:20.111 --> 00:12:22.740 By faith. 00:12:22.740 --> 00:12:27.171 Verse 32, the Jews did not attain it. 00:12:27.171 --> 00:12:31.324 Why? What does verse 32 say? 00:12:31.324 --> 00:12:35.482 They did not seek it by faith. 00:12:35.482 --> 00:12:38.359 You get down to verse 33. 00:12:38.359 --> 00:12:41.063 It says somebody there's not going to be 00:12:41.063 --> 00:12:42.424 put to shame. 00:12:42.424 --> 00:12:44.571 Who is it? 00:12:44.571 --> 00:12:45.969 Believers. 00:12:45.969 --> 00:12:48.425 You get down to 10:4, 00:12:48.425 --> 00:12:54.298 and who is it that Christ is the end of the Law for? 00:12:54.298 --> 00:12:56.752 Everyone who believes. 00:12:56.752 --> 00:12:59.099 You get down to verse 6. 00:12:59.099 --> 00:13:02.271 What is it that's speaking there? 00:13:02.271 --> 00:13:07.147 A righteousness which is according to faith. 00:13:07.147 --> 00:13:09.687 You get down to verse 8, 00:13:09.687 --> 00:13:11.714 and what is it that Paul's speaking? 00:13:11.714 --> 00:13:13.293 Is he speaking Law? 00:13:13.293 --> 00:13:15.171 Is he speaking things to do? 00:13:15.171 --> 00:13:17.643 He's speaking a word of what? 00:13:17.643 --> 00:13:19.018 Faith. 00:13:19.018 --> 00:13:22.058 It's something that must be believed. 00:13:22.058 --> 00:13:24.765 It's all about faith. 00:13:24.765 --> 00:13:27.158 Unless you believe certain truths 00:13:27.158 --> 00:13:31.458 concerning Jesus Christ, you cannot be saved. 00:13:31.458 --> 00:13:34.345 Listen, yes Paul says, 00:13:34.345 --> 00:13:38.202 if you believe in Him, 00:13:38.202 --> 00:13:40.674 you won't be put to shame. 00:13:40.674 --> 00:13:45.493 He says that. 00:13:45.493 --> 00:13:48.159 But to believe in Him. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.176 What is that? 00:13:50.176 --> 00:13:55.698 Do you guys know what the word "abstract" is? 00:13:55.698 --> 00:13:57.909 Non-definable. 00:13:57.909 --> 00:14:01.269 Sort of foggy, fuzzy feeling. 00:14:01.269 --> 00:14:06.743 Look. Faith in Jesus Christ means something. 00:14:06.743 --> 00:14:10.568 A lot of people say, well, I had this feeling. 00:14:10.568 --> 00:14:14.014 No, that's not what we're talking about. 00:14:14.014 --> 00:14:17.121 In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is not all 00:14:17.121 --> 00:14:20.351 indistinct, uncertain, 00:14:20.351 --> 00:14:24.978 "Well, it doesn't really matter..." 00:14:24.978 --> 00:14:28.188 This foggy thing - no real detail, 00:14:28.188 --> 00:14:30.952 no pinpointed truth to believe. 00:14:30.952 --> 00:14:32.344 He doesn't do that at all. 00:14:32.344 --> 00:14:34.090 He's very specific. 00:14:34.090 --> 00:14:36.513 He says, this is the Christ who died. 00:14:36.513 --> 00:14:38.135 This is the Christ who was buried. 00:14:38.135 --> 00:14:40.914 This is the Christ who on the third day was risen. 00:14:40.914 --> 00:14:45.916 The Gospel is about a distinct and a certain Christ. 00:14:45.916 --> 00:14:48.394 Whoever believes in this certain Christ 00:14:48.394 --> 00:14:52.526 labeled in the Scriptures is saved. 00:14:52.526 --> 00:14:55.370 There are fixed certainties. 00:14:55.370 --> 00:14:59.279 Concrete, actual, objective realities 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.036 about Christ. 00:15:01.036 --> 00:15:02.442 That your faith and my faith 00:15:02.442 --> 00:15:03.893 must lay hold of, 00:15:03.893 --> 00:15:07.034 to believe in Christ is to believe very 00:15:07.034 --> 00:15:09.482 specific, hard facts about Him. 00:15:09.482 --> 00:15:12.269 You can't say you believe in someone, 00:15:12.269 --> 00:15:14.518 unless there is something you 00:15:14.518 --> 00:15:18.442 expressively believe about him. 00:15:18.442 --> 00:15:19.765 That's everywhere true. 00:15:19.765 --> 00:15:21.943 We've got people running all over the place 00:15:21.943 --> 00:15:25.003 who say, "yeah, I believe in Jesus." 00:15:25.003 --> 00:15:29.002 Ask a Jehovah's Witness if they believe in Jesus. 00:15:29.002 --> 00:15:31.129 Certainly they do. 00:15:31.129 --> 00:15:33.072 Often what people mean by it, 00:15:33.072 --> 00:15:34.900 is no more than they acknowledge 00:15:34.900 --> 00:15:36.578 that a guy by the name of Jesus 00:15:36.578 --> 00:15:40.040 did actually live about 2,000 years ago. 00:15:40.040 --> 00:15:41.926 He's a true, historical, real person. 00:15:41.926 --> 00:15:43.543 Muslims believe that. 00:15:43.543 --> 00:15:45.032 Mormons believe that. 00:15:45.032 --> 00:15:46.309 JW's believe that. 00:15:46.309 --> 00:15:48.245 All these lost Jews we've been reading about, 00:15:48.245 --> 00:15:51.375 they believed Jesus was a real person. 00:15:51.375 --> 00:15:52.955 They knew it. 00:15:52.955 --> 00:15:54.656 For the most part, all these folks 00:15:54.656 --> 00:15:56.430 are willing to admit that Jesus was a 00:15:56.430 --> 00:15:57.676 true, historical figure. 00:15:57.676 --> 00:15:59.777 Oh, but let's begin to define this 00:15:59.777 --> 00:16:01.903 real, historial Jesus - 00:16:01.903 --> 00:16:03.530 who He is, 00:16:03.530 --> 00:16:05.408 and then you find, none of these folks 00:16:05.408 --> 00:16:06.801 are talking about the same 00:16:06.801 --> 00:16:11.069 Jesus that we find defined in the pages of Scripture. 00:16:11.069 --> 00:16:13.602 By the time Paul gets to Romans 10:9, 00:16:13.602 --> 00:16:15.103 he says enough. 00:16:15.103 --> 00:16:17.617 Enough about speaking vaguely about 00:16:17.617 --> 00:16:18.793 believing in Him. 00:16:18.793 --> 00:16:21.433 Let me tell you about Him who you must 00:16:21.433 --> 00:16:22.629 confess and believe in. 00:16:22.629 --> 00:16:24.481 And you look there at verse 9. 00:16:24.481 --> 00:16:28.719 "If you confess with your mouth 00:16:28.719 --> 00:16:32.910 that Jesus is Lord, 00:16:32.910 --> 00:16:35.543 and believe in your heart 00:16:35.543 --> 00:16:39.400 that God raised Him from the dead, 00:16:39.400 --> 00:16:43.588 you will be saved." 00:16:43.588 --> 00:16:44.933 If you don't believe this, 00:16:44.933 --> 00:16:49.267 you will not be saved. 00:16:49.267 --> 00:16:51.398 Do you see that? 00:16:51.398 --> 00:16:53.145 This is a serious matter. 00:16:53.145 --> 00:16:56.008 Those last three words 00:16:56.008 --> 00:16:58.508 ought to catch your attention. 00:16:58.508 --> 00:17:01.445 You will be saved. 00:17:01.445 --> 00:17:04.119 This is something that is on the caliber 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:08.820 of whether or not you have eternal life. 00:17:08.820 --> 00:17:13.285 Paul doesn't say, well, because you've looked at 00:17:13.285 --> 00:17:16.949 this effeminate looking picture of a long-haired, 00:17:16.949 --> 00:17:19.364 weepy-eyed Jesus on the wall somewhere, 00:17:19.364 --> 00:17:22.510 and you say, yeah, 00:17:22.510 --> 00:17:25.015 I believe that's a picture of a real person. 00:17:25.015 --> 00:17:27.632 That's not what saves you. 00:17:27.632 --> 00:17:29.665 What saves is seeing Christ - 00:17:29.665 --> 00:17:31.274 what does Paul say? 00:17:31.274 --> 00:17:34.259 Seeing Christ in all His powerful majesty, 00:17:34.259 --> 00:17:35.959 as the Lord of Glory 00:17:35.959 --> 00:17:38.085 ruling, reigning, sovereign, 00:17:38.085 --> 00:17:41.492 able and willing to rescue any poor sinner 00:17:41.492 --> 00:17:43.809 who calls upon Him for help. 00:17:43.809 --> 00:17:47.309 Having paid for sin, defeated death, 00:17:47.309 --> 00:17:49.505 busted the grave wide open, 00:17:49.505 --> 00:17:51.304 now living and reigning victoriously. 00:17:51.304 --> 00:17:54.365 That is the Christ you must believe in 00:17:54.365 --> 00:17:55.913 if you would be saved. 00:17:55.913 --> 00:17:57.519 He is Lord. 00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:58.535 He is. 00:17:58.535 --> 00:18:00.987 When the Philippian jailer cries out in Acts 16:30, 00:18:00.987 --> 00:18:02.704 "What must I do to be saved?" 00:18:02.704 --> 00:18:04.544 Paul and Silas didn't say, 00:18:04.544 --> 00:18:08.349 "Well, pray a little prayer. 00:18:08.349 --> 00:18:10.381 Accept this long-haired, weepy-eyed, 00:18:10.381 --> 00:18:12.671 effeminate Jesus into your heart." 00:18:12.671 --> 00:18:17.375 You know what? They spoke these timeless truths. 00:18:17.375 --> 00:18:22.345 Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ 00:18:22.345 --> 00:18:23.587 and you will be saved. 00:18:23.587 --> 00:18:25.298 In 2 Corinthians 4:5 00:18:25.298 --> 00:18:33.321 Paul says, "For what we proclaim..." 00:18:33.321 --> 00:18:37.920 Paul, what are you proclaiming? 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.025 He's going to tell us. 00:18:41.025 --> 00:18:42.721 He didn't proclaim that we need to go 00:18:42.721 --> 00:18:45.084 all around the world and show our little Jesus movie. 00:18:45.084 --> 00:18:47.589 That's not what he's proclaiming. 00:18:47.589 --> 00:18:49.722 He's not proclaiming that 00:18:49.722 --> 00:18:52.981 you've got this impotent Jesus at the door, 00:18:52.981 --> 00:18:56.411 and he's knocking and he's helpless and can't do anything, 00:18:56.411 --> 00:18:58.268 and he's weak and he's pathetic, 00:18:58.268 --> 00:18:59.692 and you better open the door and let him in 00:18:59.692 --> 00:19:01.178 or he can't do anything. 00:19:01.178 --> 00:19:04.032 That's not what he's proclaiming. 00:19:04.032 --> 00:19:05.723 What's he proclaiming? 00:19:05.723 --> 00:19:07.313 He says it's not ourselves. 00:19:07.313 --> 00:19:08.924 It's not our own imaginations. 00:19:08.924 --> 00:19:10.828 It's not our conjurings. 00:19:10.828 --> 00:19:12.413 That's not what we're doing. 00:19:12.413 --> 00:19:14.688 We're not proclaiming ourselves. 00:19:14.688 --> 00:19:16.793 We're not proclaiming our own little message. 00:19:16.793 --> 00:19:18.807 We're not proclaiming our own little deal. 00:19:18.807 --> 00:19:21.773 He says this, 00:19:21.773 --> 00:19:28.388 "We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord." 00:19:28.388 --> 00:19:31.063 When John sees the living Christ 00:19:31.063 --> 00:19:32.990 in Revelation 19, 00:19:32.990 --> 00:19:34.849 I'll guarantee you what he saw, 00:19:34.849 --> 00:19:36.352 shook him to the core, 00:19:36.352 --> 00:19:41.121 just like what Isaiah saw in Isaiah 6. 00:19:41.121 --> 00:19:44.222 This was no pushover. No pathetic weakling. 00:19:44.222 --> 00:19:46.505 He saw the very embodiment 00:19:46.505 --> 00:19:49.537 of power and authority and mighty majesty. 00:19:49.537 --> 00:19:52.421 Just listen to how John describes what he sees. 00:19:52.421 --> 00:19:54.882 Revelation 19:11 00:19:54.882 --> 00:19:59.138 "Then I saw heaven opened, 00:19:59.138 --> 00:20:02.376 and behold, a white horse. 00:20:02.376 --> 00:20:04.609 The one sitting on it is called 00:20:04.609 --> 00:20:07.256 Faithful and True. 00:20:07.256 --> 00:20:12.705 And in righteousness, He judges and makes war." 00:20:12.705 --> 00:20:15.554 This is the Christ who makes war. 00:20:15.554 --> 00:20:17.303 And wins. 00:20:17.303 --> 00:20:19.585 "His eyes are like a flame of fire. 00:20:19.585 --> 00:20:21.821 And on His head are many diadems. 00:20:21.821 --> 00:20:23.274 And He has a name written, 00:20:23.274 --> 00:20:25.372 that no one knows but Himself. 00:20:25.372 --> 00:20:30.130 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood." 00:20:30.130 --> 00:20:33.585 His own blood, no doubt. 00:20:33.585 --> 00:20:35.892 Or possibly the blood of those 00:20:35.892 --> 00:20:41.236 He's slaughtering in His conquest. 00:20:41.236 --> 00:20:42.904 "And the name by which He is called 00:20:42.904 --> 00:20:44.932 is the Word of God. 00:20:44.932 --> 00:20:47.240 And the armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen, 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:49.948 white and pure, were following Him on white horses. 00:20:49.948 --> 00:20:52.456 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, 00:20:52.456 --> 00:20:54.368 with which to strike down the nations, 00:20:54.368 --> 00:20:56.681 and He will rule them with a rod of iron. 00:20:56.681 --> 00:20:58.965 He will tread the winepress of the fury 00:20:58.965 --> 00:21:00.875 of the wrath of God, the Almighty. 00:21:00.875 --> 00:21:08.783 On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written." 00:21:08.783 --> 00:21:13.434 There's nothing in this name that is pathetic or weak. 00:21:13.434 --> 00:21:18.474 "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." 00:21:18.474 --> 00:21:24.015 This is not the dead Christ of the Catholics. 00:21:24.015 --> 00:21:27.479 This isn't some lesser prophet of Islam. 00:21:27.479 --> 00:21:30.572 This is the Almighty Lord of Lords, 00:21:30.572 --> 00:21:33.624 and you must bow your heart to, 00:21:33.624 --> 00:21:35.371 I must bow my heart to 00:21:35.371 --> 00:21:37.705 if we would be saved. 00:21:37.705 --> 00:21:40.154 It is at the name of this Jesus 00:21:40.154 --> 00:21:41.958 that every knee shall bow, 00:21:41.958 --> 00:21:43.451 whether you believe on Him 00:21:43.451 --> 00:21:45.442 and bow to Him in this life or not, 00:21:45.442 --> 00:21:49.233 the day is coming when every knee will bow 00:21:49.233 --> 00:21:53.496 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:21:53.496 --> 00:21:55.244 Maybe you don't bend to Him now. 00:21:55.244 --> 00:21:57.263 Maybe you're in rebellion against Him now. 00:21:57.263 --> 00:21:58.999 Maybe you hate His people now. 00:21:58.999 --> 00:22:01.873 You hate His message now. You hate Him now. 00:22:01.873 --> 00:22:05.255 But I'm telling you one day, you will bow to Him. 00:22:05.255 --> 00:22:07.976 You may not acknowledge Him as Lord now. 00:22:07.976 --> 00:22:09.832 You may say, I'm going to run my life, 00:22:09.832 --> 00:22:11.910 I'm going to rule my life. I'm going to do my thing. 00:22:11.910 --> 00:22:14.206 I don't want to be told what to do. 00:22:14.206 --> 00:22:17.231 But in that day, you will bend the knee to Him. 00:22:17.231 --> 00:22:19.441 And you will know He's Lord. 00:22:19.441 --> 00:22:22.181 And when they come to command those angels 00:22:22.181 --> 00:22:23.450 to cast you away, 00:22:23.450 --> 00:22:25.158 they will obey Him. 00:22:25.158 --> 00:22:27.106 They obey their Master all the time. 00:22:27.106 --> 00:22:30.595 And you will go in that lake of fire. 00:22:30.595 --> 00:22:33.502 But if you bend the knee now... 00:22:33.502 --> 00:22:38.394 Oh, you'll find Him a gracious Master. 00:22:38.394 --> 00:22:44.425 His burden is not heavy. 00:22:44.425 --> 00:22:47.829 He's kind and He's good. 00:22:47.829 --> 00:22:50.219 But He is Lord. 00:22:50.219 --> 00:22:52.659 And oh, it's a fearful thing to resist Him. 00:22:52.659 --> 00:22:55.409 But to submit to Him, you find Him - 00:22:55.409 --> 00:22:57.457 Not one of us that have submitted to Him 00:22:57.457 --> 00:23:00.533 have ever found Him to be a hard taskmaster. 00:23:00.533 --> 00:23:03.245 He is the greatest Lord. 00:23:03.245 --> 00:23:05.296 It says Pilgrim in Pilgrim's Progress, 00:23:05.296 --> 00:23:09.240 when he's confronted by Apollyon, 00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:13.302 he actually liked the service of this Lord. 00:23:13.302 --> 00:23:18.369 And so do we who have had taste of it. 00:23:18.369 --> 00:23:21.844 Every tongue will confess 00:23:21.844 --> 00:23:23.453 that Jesus Christ is Lord 00:23:23.453 --> 00:23:27.186 to the glory of God the Father. 00:23:27.186 --> 00:23:30.916 Now listen to me very carefully, 00:23:30.916 --> 00:23:34.654 if the Jesus that you believe in 00:23:34.654 --> 00:23:36.868 or the one that you have a notion of, 00:23:36.868 --> 00:23:39.155 or the one you heard about, 00:23:39.155 --> 00:23:41.205 and this is your concept of, 00:23:41.205 --> 00:23:46.104 if that Jesus falls short of being Lord of all, 00:23:46.104 --> 00:23:47.815 Lord of Glory, Lord of Lords, 00:23:47.815 --> 00:23:49.920 maybe more importantly, 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:55.147 falls short of being Lord of you... 00:23:55.147 --> 00:24:00.213 then your faith is in another Jesus. 00:24:00.213 --> 00:24:01.902 Not the true one. 00:24:01.902 --> 00:24:03.231 And you cannot be saved. 00:24:03.231 --> 00:24:04.247 Hear me out on this. 00:24:04.247 --> 00:24:08.434 This happens far more than many realize. 00:24:08.434 --> 00:24:11.839 Most men love to construct in their minds 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:15.878 an image of a Jesus that is impotent. 00:24:15.878 --> 00:24:19.098 Men love to see Christ as a baby in a manger, 00:24:19.098 --> 00:24:20.616 but stop right there. 00:24:20.616 --> 00:24:21.673 No more than that. 00:24:21.673 --> 00:24:22.824 Put the brakes on. 00:24:22.824 --> 00:24:24.206 He's harmless enough there. 00:24:24.206 --> 00:24:25.183 Little baby. 00:24:25.183 --> 00:24:26.442 Don't have to deal with it. 00:24:26.442 --> 00:24:28.945 But I'll tell you what, you remember something, 00:24:28.945 --> 00:24:30.917 when those angels came to those shepherds 00:24:30.917 --> 00:24:32.073 out in the field, 00:24:32.073 --> 00:24:33.762 they said, "Unto you is born this day in the 00:24:33.762 --> 00:24:36.998 city of David, a Savior. 00:24:36.998 --> 00:24:39.906 It is Christ the Lord." 00:24:39.906 --> 00:24:45.440 Even as a baby, He is the Lord. 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.079 Oh, how men love to imagine Christ 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:51.065 frail, weak, harmless, pathetic. 00:24:51.065 --> 00:24:52.452 Men love a Jesus like this. 00:24:52.452 --> 00:24:53.591 He's no threat to them. 00:24:53.591 --> 00:24:55.724 The problem is 00:24:55.724 --> 00:24:57.941 a Jesus like this can't save. 00:24:57.941 --> 00:25:00.444 And the devil is more than happy 00:25:00.444 --> 00:25:02.381 to give us a Jesus like that. 00:25:02.381 --> 00:25:04.325 Listen to the Apostle Paul: 00:25:04.325 --> 00:25:10.585 He says to the Corinthians in 2 Cor 11:3-4, 00:25:10.585 --> 00:25:14.331 I'm afraid that as the serpent (that's the devil), 00:25:14.331 --> 00:25:19.233 just as the devil deceived Eve by his cunning, 00:25:19.233 --> 00:25:21.973 I'm concerned, I'm afraid, that your thoughts 00:25:21.973 --> 00:25:24.819 will be led astray from a sincere 00:25:24.819 --> 00:25:28.022 and pure devotion to Christ. 00:25:28.022 --> 00:25:29.224 What's he mean there? 00:25:29.224 --> 00:25:30.782 Well, he gives some explanation. 00:25:30.782 --> 00:25:37.998 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus 00:25:37.998 --> 00:25:40.199 than the one we proclaimed, 00:25:40.199 --> 00:25:41.873 you put up with it readily. 00:25:41.873 --> 00:25:45.036 Folks, not everyone talking about Jesus 00:25:45.036 --> 00:25:48.048 is talking about the true Jesus. 00:25:48.048 --> 00:25:52.515 Paul says, the one we proclaim to you, 00:25:52.515 --> 00:25:54.850 that's the true one. 00:25:54.850 --> 00:25:56.658 Others are coming who are proclaiming one 00:25:56.658 --> 00:25:57.911 who is not true. 00:25:57.911 --> 00:25:59.561 Here's Paul's fear. 00:25:59.561 --> 00:26:03.380 He fears the serpent, the devil. 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:05.991 He fears that just in the same way 00:26:05.991 --> 00:26:08.654 as Eve was deceived and led astray 00:26:08.654 --> 00:26:10.744 to her death, 00:26:10.744 --> 00:26:13.137 so Paul fears lest we be led astray 00:26:13.137 --> 00:26:15.138 by one of the devil's people coming 00:26:15.138 --> 00:26:17.075 and proclaiming another Jesus. 00:26:17.075 --> 00:26:18.136 Another one. 00:26:18.136 --> 00:26:19.402 Not the true one. 00:26:19.402 --> 00:26:21.157 But another one. 00:26:21.157 --> 00:26:27.171 How often the other Jesus is proclaimed 00:26:27.171 --> 00:26:31.456 by Satan's emissaries this way: 00:26:31.456 --> 00:26:34.646 "Well, he's a savior. 00:26:34.646 --> 00:26:38.861 He doesn't demand anything of you. 00:26:38.861 --> 00:26:47.770 Just believe. Just believe. Just believe. 00:26:47.770 --> 00:26:50.680 We wouldn't want to say that you have to repent, 00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:52.136 or that you have to turn and be like 00:26:52.136 --> 00:26:54.774 a little child, or you have to submit. 00:26:54.774 --> 00:26:56.496 None of that. If we say that, 00:26:56.496 --> 00:26:58.324 that's adding works to salvation." 00:26:58.324 --> 00:27:00.267 Oh, it sounds good, but it is a 00:27:00.267 --> 00:27:03.773 deceptive slant on the true Gospel. 00:27:03.773 --> 00:27:11.378 It comes being spoken by the serpent's slithery voice. 00:27:11.378 --> 00:27:13.936 Anytime someone comes along and says 00:27:13.936 --> 00:27:15.815 that you can take Christ as Savior, 00:27:15.815 --> 00:27:17.194 but not as Lord, 00:27:17.194 --> 00:27:23.262 it is the foul breath of that serpent, guaranteed. 00:27:23.262 --> 00:27:27.957 Folks, this happens often. 00:27:27.957 --> 00:27:32.064 Listen, Jesus knew the deceiver. 00:27:32.064 --> 00:27:35.639 He knew the tempter well. 00:27:35.639 --> 00:27:41.330 Here's how He describes him. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:53.840 Well, you know what, let me say this... 00:27:59.550 --> 00:28:01.034 This seems to come up 00:28:01.034 --> 00:28:06.267 again and again and again. 00:28:15.297 --> 00:28:24.036 What does Jesus as Lord demand of us? 00:28:24.036 --> 00:28:29.317 Is it just belief? 00:28:29.317 --> 00:28:32.286 Is that stated anywhere? 00:28:32.286 --> 00:28:34.715 Oh, I know Luther liked to write, 00:28:34.715 --> 00:28:38.206 "faith sola." 00:28:38.206 --> 00:28:43.296 In fact, that's the way it is in the German Bible. 00:28:43.296 --> 00:28:52.010 Are we saved by faith alone? 00:28:52.010 --> 00:28:54.226 I think if we know our Bibles well enough, 00:28:54.226 --> 00:28:57.820 we'd have to say yes. 00:28:57.820 --> 00:28:59.977 Right? 00:28:59.977 --> 00:29:04.318 Looking outside of myself, 00:29:04.318 --> 00:29:07.832 finding my total help in Christ 00:29:07.832 --> 00:29:09.901 is exactly how a sinner, 00:29:09.901 --> 00:29:12.291 helpless, wretched 00:29:12.291 --> 00:29:14.810 is saved. 00:29:14.810 --> 00:29:20.187 But what the Bible does over and over and over again, 00:29:20.187 --> 00:29:24.229 is asserts that true faith, 00:29:24.229 --> 00:29:26.219 which does save, 00:29:26.219 --> 00:29:30.383 which is only a looking and trusting in Christ, 00:29:30.383 --> 00:29:36.184 it's always attended by things. 00:29:36.184 --> 00:29:41.106 True saving faith is identifiable. 00:29:41.106 --> 00:29:42.996 It's recognizable. 00:29:42.996 --> 00:29:46.339 Think about it, Paul's speaking to Titus, 00:29:46.339 --> 00:29:49.122 said things like this, 00:29:49.122 --> 00:29:52.918 They profess to know God. 00:29:52.918 --> 00:29:55.049 Ok, so they say they believe in God. 00:29:55.049 --> 00:29:58.166 But what did they do? 00:29:58.166 --> 00:30:01.632 They denied Him by their works. 00:30:01.632 --> 00:30:05.126 Isn't that interesting that if somebody says 00:30:05.126 --> 00:30:09.671 I believe in God, yet at the same time, 00:30:09.671 --> 00:30:14.841 they can deny Him. What does that mean? 00:30:14.841 --> 00:30:17.810 That means they're not trusting Him. 00:30:17.810 --> 00:30:19.537 They just denied Him. 00:30:19.537 --> 00:30:20.985 Christ says things about 00:30:20.985 --> 00:30:25.716 "if you deny Me, I will deny you." 00:30:25.716 --> 00:30:28.567 We're talking: not saved. 00:30:28.567 --> 00:30:30.944 This isn't some kind of Christian denial. 00:30:30.944 --> 00:30:34.670 This is proving that whatever they said they had, 00:30:34.670 --> 00:30:38.081 it's not true. 00:30:38.081 --> 00:30:44.523 Beloved, this is why texts like 1 John 2:3-4 00:30:44.523 --> 00:30:46.580 are everywhere in our Bibles. 00:30:46.580 --> 00:30:47.774 What do they say? 00:30:47.774 --> 00:30:50.862 It says this: 00:30:50.862 --> 00:30:54.051 "By this we know that we have come to know Him." 00:30:54.051 --> 00:30:55.649 What does that mean? Know Him. 00:30:55.649 --> 00:30:57.543 That means true faith. 00:30:57.543 --> 00:30:58.596 Know Him. 00:30:58.596 --> 00:31:00.492 I realize that's relational. 00:31:00.492 --> 00:31:03.218 But the fact is, you never enter into that relationship, 00:31:03.218 --> 00:31:05.262 that saving relationship with God, 00:31:05.262 --> 00:31:06.857 unless there's true faith. 00:31:06.857 --> 00:31:09.619 If I say I have true faith, and I say I know Him, 00:31:09.619 --> 00:31:11.698 and I say that by that true faith, 00:31:11.698 --> 00:31:14.594 that I have come to a real saving knowledge of Him. 00:31:14.594 --> 00:31:22.220 John says, by this we can know... 00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:25.001 By this we can test our faith, 00:31:25.001 --> 00:31:29.701 if we keep His commandments. 00:31:29.701 --> 00:31:32.494 Now, that has everything to do with His Lordship. 00:31:32.494 --> 00:31:34.031 Everything. 00:31:34.031 --> 00:31:39.345 If we say we know Him, 00:31:39.345 --> 00:31:42.475 but we're not keeping these commandments, 00:31:42.475 --> 00:31:45.488 it says we're a liar and the truth is not in us. 00:31:45.488 --> 00:31:46.765 Here's the thing, 00:31:46.765 --> 00:31:50.710 those who are masters, those who are in charge, 00:31:50.710 --> 00:31:52.675 they give commandments, and they expect 00:31:52.675 --> 00:31:54.538 them to be followed by the ones 00:31:54.538 --> 00:31:56.937 that are subordinate to them. 00:31:56.937 --> 00:31:59.154 Jesus gives commandments. 00:31:59.154 --> 00:32:03.177 He says, it validates whether you truly 00:32:03.177 --> 00:32:06.448 know God or not. 00:32:06.448 --> 00:32:08.981 Jesus Christ said, "If you love Me, you'll keep My commandments." 00:32:08.996 --> 00:32:10.849 It validates whether your love for Christ 00:32:10.849 --> 00:32:12.338 is true or not. 00:32:12.338 --> 00:32:14.411 Now this is the Lord. 00:32:14.411 --> 00:32:17.035 I had some guy, I was pressing some guy 00:32:17.035 --> 00:32:19.314 with this recently, because there was a certain 00:32:19.314 --> 00:32:21.185 gentleman who we were both talking about, 00:32:21.185 --> 00:32:23.791 that had lived in 00:32:23.791 --> 00:32:26.791 masturbation and pornography 00:32:26.791 --> 00:32:31.150 for the last 13 years. 00:32:31.150 --> 00:32:34.978 And I said, this guy is in the grips of the power of sin. 00:32:34.978 --> 00:32:39.284 You have no right telling him he's a Christian. 00:32:39.284 --> 00:32:41.627 You have no business doing that. 00:32:41.627 --> 00:32:43.501 Whatsover. 00:32:43.501 --> 00:32:45.862 And the guy pressing me on the issue said, 00:32:45.862 --> 00:32:49.285 "Well, what percentage of the time do we 00:32:49.285 --> 00:32:52.563 have to obey His commandments?" 00:32:52.563 --> 00:32:55.799 I said, look, you are walking on dangerous ground. 00:32:55.799 --> 00:33:00.001 I said I am not talking perfection here. 00:33:00.001 --> 00:33:04.666 But what you're not doing is taking God's Word 00:33:04.666 --> 00:33:07.410 for what it says. 00:33:07.410 --> 00:33:08.482 I'll tell you this, 00:33:08.482 --> 00:33:10.826 the life of the Christian is radically different. 00:33:10.826 --> 00:33:12.672 The Scripture says this, 00:33:12.672 --> 00:33:14.340 that as a lost person, 00:33:14.340 --> 00:33:17.531 our righteous deeds are filthy rags. 00:33:17.531 --> 00:33:19.679 The Scripture says there's none that does righteouss, 00:33:19.679 --> 00:33:20.466 not one. 00:33:20.466 --> 00:33:22.854 When we're lost, it's not just a matter of 00:33:22.854 --> 00:33:25.236 whether we ever sinned or not; 00:33:25.236 --> 00:33:26.969 or sinned occasionally, or some of the time. 00:33:26.969 --> 00:33:29.544 What the Bible describes is the lost man sins 00:33:29.544 --> 00:33:30.941 all the time. 00:33:30.941 --> 00:33:32.481 What the Bible teaches us, 00:33:32.481 --> 00:33:36.418 is that when we truly come to Christ, 00:33:36.418 --> 00:33:38.951 when we come to the Lord, 00:33:38.951 --> 00:33:41.890 what the Lord does, 00:33:41.890 --> 00:33:45.701 is He graciously gives us the ability 00:33:45.701 --> 00:33:48.636 to bow to Christ. 00:33:48.636 --> 00:33:50.167 That's what the New Covenant is. 00:33:50.167 --> 00:33:51.390 We sang it on Wednesday night. 00:33:51.390 --> 00:33:52.703 We were singing the New Covenant, what, 00:33:52.703 --> 00:33:54.333 from Ezekiel 36? 00:33:54.333 --> 00:33:57.576 He says, He's going to write those laws 00:33:57.576 --> 00:33:59.924 those commandments on our heart, 00:33:59.924 --> 00:34:02.878 and He's going to cause us to keep them. 00:34:02.878 --> 00:34:05.642 And John says they're not grievous. 00:34:05.642 --> 00:34:07.666 This is the glory of the Gospel! 00:34:07.666 --> 00:34:11.761 It's not that we find ourselves moved 00:34:11.761 --> 00:34:15.150 under this mean, harsh, taskmaster. 00:34:15.150 --> 00:34:19.496 It's that suddenly, my heart has been opened up. 00:34:19.496 --> 00:34:22.221 I hunger, I thirst after righteousness. 00:34:22.221 --> 00:34:24.506 I don't keep it perfect all the time. 00:34:24.506 --> 00:34:25.668 It grieves me. 00:34:25.668 --> 00:34:28.099 But even when I tend to fall, 00:34:28.099 --> 00:34:29.829 and even when my heart may grow calloused 00:34:29.829 --> 00:34:30.948 towards the Lord, 00:34:30.948 --> 00:34:33.017 and I may shrug off something. 00:34:33.017 --> 00:34:35.433 He so kindly and graciously 00:34:35.433 --> 00:34:38.175 comes back to me over and over and over again, 00:34:38.175 --> 00:34:41.343 and breaks me and makes me resigned. 00:34:41.343 --> 00:34:43.093 Oh, if there's ever anything that brings 00:34:43.093 --> 00:34:44.808 peace and joy to the Christian, 00:34:44.808 --> 00:34:47.922 it's when they feel total resignation 00:34:47.922 --> 00:34:48.961 to Christ. 00:34:48.961 --> 00:34:50.733 No agenda of their own. 00:34:50.733 --> 00:34:53.252 Just, Lord. 00:34:53.252 --> 00:34:56.643 And He alone can bring the sinner to a place 00:34:56.643 --> 00:34:59.097 where we just joyfully say, 00:34:59.097 --> 00:35:01.262 "Oh, Lord, we love Your ways." 00:35:01.262 --> 00:35:03.210 "They're good. They're righteous." 00:35:03.210 --> 00:35:05.972 "We see. We want to be led by You." 00:35:05.972 --> 00:35:07.488 "We want that." 00:35:07.488 --> 00:35:09.880 "Lord, we hate when we're self-willed." 00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:11.733 "We hate it!" 00:35:11.733 --> 00:35:13.542 "Lord, deliver us from such things." 00:35:13.542 --> 00:35:14.710 But I'll tell you what, 00:35:14.710 --> 00:35:16.555 Satan's right there all the time. 00:35:16.555 --> 00:35:20.617 "No. That's not required." 00:35:20.617 --> 00:35:22.582 "That's not part of it." 00:35:22.582 --> 00:35:24.217 I'll tell you what, 00:35:24.217 --> 00:35:26.801 if there was some psychopathic killer in a room 00:35:26.801 --> 00:35:28.924 with your child and he had a butcher knife 00:35:28.924 --> 00:35:30.484 in his hand, you'd be terrified. 00:35:30.484 --> 00:35:31.626 You'd be concerned. 00:35:31.626 --> 00:35:33.657 Well, let me tell you about the greatest 00:35:33.657 --> 00:35:35.867 psychopathic killer on the face of this earth. 00:35:35.867 --> 00:35:37.318 It's the devil. 00:35:37.318 --> 00:35:39.787 And I'll tell you what his meat cleaver is... 00:35:39.787 --> 00:35:41.882 it's another Christ. 00:35:41.882 --> 00:35:45.570 He butchers men with it. 00:35:45.570 --> 00:35:47.383 He means to murder. 00:35:47.383 --> 00:35:49.625 He means to kill. 00:35:49.625 --> 00:35:54.230 Christ described this killer in John 8:44. 00:35:54.230 --> 00:35:57.746 He says this, "He was a murderer from the beginning." 00:35:57.746 --> 00:36:00.422 Who did he murder? 00:36:00.422 --> 00:36:01.380 Adam and Eve. 00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:04.000 And how did he do it? 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:06.776 He says, "He has nothing to do with the truth, 00:36:06.776 --> 00:36:08.425 because there's no truth in him. 00:36:08.425 --> 00:36:11.307 When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, 00:36:11.307 --> 00:36:16.592 for he is a liar and the father of lies." 00:36:16.592 --> 00:36:18.721 Don't you dare think 00:36:18.721 --> 00:36:20.551 that when somebody comes through the doors 00:36:20.551 --> 00:36:21.985 of this church, 00:36:21.985 --> 00:36:23.229 or when you meet them out there 00:36:23.229 --> 00:36:24.647 supposedly from another church 00:36:24.647 --> 00:36:26.014 when we're doing evangelism, 00:36:26.014 --> 00:36:27.100 you cross paths with them, 00:36:27.100 --> 00:36:31.119 and they're speaking of a Christ 00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:34.299 who you don't have to bow down to 00:36:34.299 --> 00:36:35.912 and submit to. 00:36:35.912 --> 00:36:38.746 Who basically will save any sinner 00:36:38.746 --> 00:36:42.845 and then let them go on and live their life however. 00:36:42.845 --> 00:36:44.649 Anybody that comes along like that, 00:36:44.649 --> 00:36:46.263 speaks that way, 00:36:46.263 --> 00:36:47.860 you better deal with it as serious, 00:36:47.860 --> 00:36:50.075 because another Jesus kills. 00:36:50.075 --> 00:36:51.761 And I'll tell you what, that Satan 00:36:51.761 --> 00:36:53.853 as he prowls about like a roaring lion. 00:36:53.853 --> 00:36:55.510 He's seeking someone to devour. 00:36:55.510 --> 00:36:56.687 How does he devour? 00:36:56.687 --> 00:36:58.728 He does it through deception. 00:36:58.728 --> 00:37:00.332 Why do you think 00:37:00.332 --> 00:37:01.925 that when we think about Islam, 00:37:01.925 --> 00:37:03.303 we think about Catholicism, 00:37:03.303 --> 00:37:04.691 we think about Buddhism, 00:37:04.691 --> 00:37:05.945 Hinduism, the cults... 00:37:05.945 --> 00:37:09.605 why is it that it's always Christ that's attacked? 00:37:09.605 --> 00:37:11.431 For that very reason. 00:37:11.431 --> 00:37:15.612 These religions are satanic deceptions. 00:37:15.612 --> 00:37:18.486 Christ is Lord. 00:37:18.486 --> 00:37:20.107 And I'll tell you what, 00:37:20.107 --> 00:37:23.746 when you see these things in false religions, 00:37:23.746 --> 00:37:29.037 what you see is Christ being slandered 00:37:29.037 --> 00:37:31.063 by the devil, 00:37:31.063 --> 00:37:36.593 and you see the devil murdering the multitudes. 00:37:36.593 --> 00:37:38.469 And if that doesn't stir your heart 00:37:38.469 --> 00:37:41.916 to take the true Christ out... 00:37:41.916 --> 00:37:44.126 He's not a subordinate prophet 00:37:44.126 --> 00:37:46.465 underneath Muhammad. 00:37:46.465 --> 00:37:50.287 He is Lord of Lords. 00:37:50.287 --> 00:37:54.958 He's not dead, pathetic on a crucifix. 00:37:54.958 --> 00:37:57.648 He is alive and raised from the dead, 00:37:57.648 --> 00:38:00.232 and He is Lord of the living and the dead. 00:38:00.232 --> 00:38:02.107 Lord of all. 00:38:02.107 --> 00:38:07.048 This is the Christ we must set forth. 00:38:07.048 --> 00:38:10.859 Now listen, we need some definition here. 00:38:10.859 --> 00:38:14.197 Lord. What does that mean? 00:38:14.197 --> 00:38:16.326 Kurios in the Greek. 00:38:16.326 --> 00:38:18.150 It's the idea of master. 00:38:18.150 --> 00:38:19.856 It's the idea of owner. 00:38:19.856 --> 00:38:23.101 It's the idea of one to whom other people 00:38:23.101 --> 00:38:25.119 owe allegiance. 00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:28.528 It's the idea of: He owns you. 00:38:28.528 --> 00:38:30.944 And He has the right to tell you what to do 00:38:30.944 --> 00:38:33.375 and when to do it and how to do it. 00:38:33.375 --> 00:38:36.947 That's what Lord is all about. 00:38:36.947 --> 00:38:38.355 I'm going to prove that to you 00:38:38.355 --> 00:38:40.646 in a little bit here from the Scriptures. 00:38:40.646 --> 00:38:42.333 Let me tell you. 00:38:42.333 --> 00:38:45.348 What Paul is saying, "If you confess..." 00:38:45.348 --> 00:38:46.458 What's that all about? 00:38:46.458 --> 00:38:47.682 If I confess... 00:38:47.682 --> 00:38:52.548 I mean, anybody can say, "Jesus is Lord." 00:38:52.548 --> 00:38:53.815 Can't they? 00:38:53.815 --> 00:38:56.143 I mean, people do it all the time, do they not? 00:38:56.143 --> 00:38:59.078 Look, the confession that Paul's talking about 00:38:59.078 --> 00:39:01.596 is a confession that comes forth 00:39:01.596 --> 00:39:03.044 from the heart. 00:39:03.044 --> 00:39:05.212 The confession of the mouth coming forth 00:39:05.212 --> 00:39:08.042 from the heart that believes what it's confessing. 00:39:08.042 --> 00:39:12.110 And if you believe Jesus Christ is Lord, 00:39:12.110 --> 00:39:13.734 you submit to Him. 00:39:13.734 --> 00:39:15.600 Remember this from Titus: 00:39:15.600 --> 00:39:19.875 "By their works they deny Him." 00:39:19.875 --> 00:39:24.354 The way you attest to truly accepting Him, 00:39:24.354 --> 00:39:27.626 is to live based on what you say you believe. 00:39:27.626 --> 00:39:29.889 If you tell me you believe something, 00:39:29.889 --> 00:39:32.117 but you're not willing to rest yourself on it. 00:39:32.117 --> 00:39:34.332 And I was just telling somebody the other day, 00:39:34.332 --> 00:39:39.058 and this is what Craig and I remember from early days 00:39:39.058 --> 00:39:41.023 about the whole wheelbarrow bit. 00:39:41.023 --> 00:39:42.800 I was telling somebody if there was a line 00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:45.272 stretched from the top of that building over there 00:39:45.272 --> 00:39:47.845 to the top of this building over here, 00:39:47.845 --> 00:39:51.093 and I said, hey, I can walk that and I can do it 00:39:51.093 --> 00:39:52.797 with a wheelbarrow in my hands. 00:39:52.797 --> 00:39:54.376 And you say, yeah, I believe that. 00:39:54.376 --> 00:39:55.989 And then I say, ok, jump in the wheelbarrow. 00:39:55.989 --> 00:39:57.152 Let's go. 00:39:57.152 --> 00:39:58.764 And you say, I'm not going. 00:39:58.764 --> 00:40:01.401 Well, you see, you can say you believe something 00:40:01.401 --> 00:40:04.254 but if you're not willing to rest your life on it, 00:40:04.254 --> 00:40:05.217 it's not true. 00:40:05.217 --> 00:40:07.259 You don't believe it. 00:40:07.259 --> 00:40:09.918 Faith can be seen 00:40:09.918 --> 00:40:11.858 and can be tested 00:40:11.858 --> 00:40:15.874 by its willingness to trust what it says it believes in 00:40:15.874 --> 00:40:18.091 and act on what it says it believes in. 00:40:18.091 --> 00:40:20.254 If you believe in the heart 00:40:20.254 --> 00:40:22.375 that Jesus Christ is Lord 00:40:22.375 --> 00:40:24.050 and confess that with your lips, 00:40:24.050 --> 00:40:26.192 you will not then deny that 00:40:26.192 --> 00:40:28.814 by your works. 00:40:28.814 --> 00:40:31.137 Did Christ not say, 00:40:31.137 --> 00:40:33.747 "Many will say to Me in that day..." what? 00:40:33.747 --> 00:40:34.846 (from the room) "Lord, Lord." 00:40:34.846 --> 00:40:38.529 They're confessing it, are they not. 00:40:38.529 --> 00:40:40.576 And yet, He says what? 00:40:40.576 --> 00:40:42.698 Who enters the kingdom? 00:40:42.698 --> 00:40:47.197 Those who do the will. 00:40:47.197 --> 00:40:48.126 There is it. 00:40:48.126 --> 00:40:50.079 Submission to Lordship. 00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:52.961 It is not everybody who confesses Lord. 00:40:52.961 --> 00:40:57.611 It is those who by their life, submit to the Lord, 00:40:57.611 --> 00:40:59.887 and confess Lord that are going to be 00:40:59.887 --> 00:41:01.629 accepted in. 00:41:01.629 --> 00:41:03.225 Those same people saying, "Lord, Lord," 00:41:03.225 --> 00:41:04.959 He says, "Depart from Me. I never knew you." 00:41:04.959 --> 00:41:06.337 "You're workers of iniquity." 00:41:06.337 --> 00:41:08.916 "You're not workers that submitted to Me. 00:41:08.916 --> 00:41:10.768 By your works, you denied Me. 00:41:10.768 --> 00:41:13.525 By your works, you showed you were lawless. 00:41:13.525 --> 00:41:15.012 You didn't keep My commandments, 00:41:15.012 --> 00:41:17.354 which is the very proof that you are not 00:41:17.354 --> 00:41:19.851 one who truly knows Me. 00:41:19.851 --> 00:41:21.227 Because if you say you know Me 00:41:21.227 --> 00:41:22.239 and you don't keep My commandments, 00:41:22.239 --> 00:41:23.921 you're a liar and the truth is not in you." 00:41:23.921 --> 00:41:26.559 This is what Lordship is all about. 00:41:26.559 --> 00:41:32.777 Now look, in Luke 6, I think it's verse 46. 00:41:32.777 --> 00:41:34.691 Christ says this, 00:41:34.691 --> 00:41:42.298 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' 00:41:42.298 --> 00:41:47.091 and do not do the things I say?" 00:41:47.091 --> 00:41:48.773 Do you see what He's saying? 00:41:48.773 --> 00:41:50.959 If you say, "Lord," if you profess 00:41:50.959 --> 00:41:52.971 or confess Me as Lord, 00:41:52.971 --> 00:41:54.984 but then don't do the things that I say, 00:41:54.984 --> 00:41:56.319 why do you say it? 00:41:56.319 --> 00:41:58.094 It's a contradiction. 00:41:58.094 --> 00:41:59.430 And if you go on to read following 00:41:59.430 --> 00:42:02.598 the next three verses (47, 48, 49) 00:42:02.598 --> 00:42:05.089 you'll see that He builds this very case. 00:42:05.089 --> 00:42:06.819 He says, "if you hear My word and do them, 00:42:06.819 --> 00:42:08.678 you're the wise man." 00:42:08.678 --> 00:42:10.441 "If you hear My word and don't do it, 00:42:10.441 --> 00:42:11.551 you're a fool." 00:42:11.551 --> 00:42:12.833 And the day is coming 00:42:12.833 --> 00:42:16.065 when you're headed towards ruin. 00:42:16.065 --> 00:42:19.191 Lordship. 00:42:19.191 --> 00:42:23.325 Let's just finish up by being real practical here. 00:42:23.325 --> 00:42:26.406 How does this come out in the life? 00:42:26.406 --> 00:42:28.315 Just what I was talking about. 00:42:28.315 --> 00:42:30.445 Membership. 00:42:30.445 --> 00:42:34.180 Membership. 00:42:34.180 --> 00:42:37.558 You know what, does Jesus expect you 00:42:37.558 --> 00:42:41.539 to keep the Lord's supper? 00:42:41.539 --> 00:42:43.386 He does. 00:42:43.386 --> 00:42:46.912 As often as you do it, 00:42:46.912 --> 00:42:48.628 do it in remembrance of Me. 00:42:48.628 --> 00:42:49.496 Do it. 00:42:49.496 --> 00:42:50.725 In remembrance of Me. 00:42:50.725 --> 00:42:52.170 He's calling us to do it. 00:42:52.170 --> 00:42:55.748 He's expecting that we will do it. 00:42:55.748 --> 00:43:01.192 Now there are many reasons just to 00:43:01.192 --> 00:43:03.856 delight in doing it. 00:43:03.856 --> 00:43:07.318 But if we're dealing with Lordship itself, 00:43:07.318 --> 00:43:09.793 I look at it and I say, you know what, 00:43:09.793 --> 00:43:11.960 the Lord wants me to do this. 00:43:11.960 --> 00:43:15.268 Now My Lord not only has the authority to command me, 00:43:15.268 --> 00:43:18.265 I've been purchased with a price, 00:43:18.265 --> 00:43:19.940 I'm a slave of Christ. 00:43:19.940 --> 00:43:21.851 He not only has the authority. 00:43:21.851 --> 00:43:24.442 I know this about My Lord as well. 00:43:24.442 --> 00:43:26.878 He's a lot wiser than I am. 00:43:26.878 --> 00:43:29.751 And He's a whole lot more good than I am. 00:43:29.751 --> 00:43:32.202 And He's knows what is for my greatest good 00:43:32.202 --> 00:43:33.826 a lot more than I do. 00:43:33.826 --> 00:43:35.884 And obviously, if He tells us that we should not 00:43:35.884 --> 00:43:38.302 miss the Lord's Supper, there's a reason. 00:43:38.302 --> 00:43:40.267 He's got some blessing in it for us. 00:43:40.267 --> 00:43:42.553 It's meant to strengthen you. 00:43:42.553 --> 00:43:45.040 You remember, maybe you don't, 00:43:45.040 --> 00:43:46.901 but let me tell you. 00:43:46.901 --> 00:43:48.637 There is twice, to the Corinthians 00:43:48.637 --> 00:43:53.386 Paul says the Lord has given us authority. 00:43:53.386 --> 00:43:55.732 He says, look, we don't exercise it 00:43:55.732 --> 00:43:59.074 just basically to have dominion over you. 00:43:59.074 --> 00:44:02.683 We exercise it for your welfare. 00:44:02.683 --> 00:44:07.430 We exercise it for your strengthening. 00:44:07.430 --> 00:44:10.558 The Lord has the right to designate authority. 00:44:10.558 --> 00:44:13.336 If the Lord designates authority to an apostle, 00:44:13.336 --> 00:44:15.897 or designates it to me as a pastor, 00:44:15.897 --> 00:44:19.355 and that apostle who has been designated 00:44:19.355 --> 00:44:22.152 that authority under inspiration can say, 00:44:22.152 --> 00:44:24.077 The Lord designated the authority. 00:44:24.077 --> 00:44:25.747 His authority. He gave it to us. 00:44:25.747 --> 00:44:27.538 Not so that we can come in here 00:44:27.538 --> 00:44:29.683 and run roughshod over you. 00:44:29.683 --> 00:44:33.713 He did it for your own good. 00:44:33.713 --> 00:44:38.627 We get something of the heart of this Lord. 00:44:38.627 --> 00:44:44.150 He says, "My burden is light." 00:44:44.150 --> 00:44:46.831 His yoke is easy. 00:44:46.831 --> 00:44:48.976 He is not a difficult taskmaster. 00:44:48.976 --> 00:44:50.311 What He wants us to do, 00:44:50.311 --> 00:44:52.587 He wants us to do for a certain purpose. 00:44:52.587 --> 00:44:54.711 Let me tell you something, 00:44:54.711 --> 00:44:57.044 in Luke 19, 00:44:57.044 --> 00:44:58.829 you've got these folks - 00:44:58.829 --> 00:45:00.632 this is most men he's describing, 00:45:00.632 --> 00:45:02.995 out there in the world. 00:45:02.995 --> 00:45:07.478 And they say, "we will not have this man 00:45:07.478 --> 00:45:11.539 to rule over us." 00:45:11.539 --> 00:45:14.524 That's what most men say. 00:45:14.524 --> 00:45:19.606 Now look, He's kind to those who submit to Him. 00:45:19.606 --> 00:45:24.622 But don't take that for weakness. 00:45:24.622 --> 00:45:28.211 Because several verses later, when He comes again, 00:45:28.211 --> 00:45:32.331 He says, "gather all those enemies before Me 00:45:32.331 --> 00:45:35.057 who would not have Me to reign over them 00:45:35.057 --> 00:45:40.754 and slaughter them before Me." 00:45:40.754 --> 00:45:44.098 He is a fearful Lord. 00:45:44.098 --> 00:45:49.495 But a good one. 00:45:49.495 --> 00:45:54.560 So, the only confession of Christ as Lord 00:45:54.560 --> 00:45:57.718 that's a saving confession 00:45:57.718 --> 00:46:00.520 is the one accompanied by a heart 00:46:00.520 --> 00:46:02.325 that believes it; 00:46:02.325 --> 00:46:07.774 by a life that shows that that faith is real. 00:46:07.774 --> 00:46:09.266 You get young people sometimes, 00:46:09.266 --> 00:46:11.603 yes, Jesus is Lord, they'll confess that. 00:46:11.603 --> 00:46:13.721 But is He Lord of your life when it comes to 00:46:13.721 --> 00:46:17.093 who you select as a mate in marriage? 00:46:17.093 --> 00:46:18.734 Well, you get people that run off 00:46:18.734 --> 00:46:20.660 and they want to do every sort of thing, 00:46:20.660 --> 00:46:22.694 and overlook the fact that the guy 00:46:22.694 --> 00:46:24.502 that they're interested in is 00:46:24.502 --> 00:46:31.044 almost definitely lost. 00:46:31.044 --> 00:46:33.797 Priscilla threw one at me last night. 00:46:33.797 --> 00:46:37.387 Women obeying their husbands. 00:46:37.387 --> 00:46:38.847 What a text that is! 00:46:38.847 --> 00:46:41.431 Women are supposed to obey their husbands 00:46:41.431 --> 00:46:46.638 as unto the Lord, who has the right. 00:46:46.638 --> 00:46:47.657 And women come along 00:46:47.657 --> 00:46:51.020 and they buck against that. 00:46:51.020 --> 00:46:54.469 They don't want to obey their husbands. 00:46:54.469 --> 00:46:56.195 Before any of you husbands get on that kick, 00:46:56.195 --> 00:46:57.813 you need to remember that you're 00:46:57.813 --> 00:46:59.263 supposed to love your wives 00:46:59.263 --> 00:47:00.855 as Christ loved the church. 00:47:00.855 --> 00:47:02.624 You've been commanded to do that 00:47:02.624 --> 00:47:04.486 by the Savior as well. 00:47:04.486 --> 00:47:09.285 Again, don't forsake the assembling together of yourselves. 00:47:09.285 --> 00:47:11.521 This is a command of the Lord. 00:47:11.521 --> 00:47:13.436 And yet, people want to float around. 00:47:13.436 --> 00:47:15.082 They don't want to assemble with the church. 00:47:15.082 --> 00:47:16.672 They don't want to come pray with the church. 00:47:16.672 --> 00:47:19.598 They don't want to break bread with the church. 00:47:19.598 --> 00:47:20.563 Listen to me. 00:47:20.563 --> 00:47:22.124 Here's something. 00:47:22.124 --> 00:47:24.530 When a person savingly believes in 00:47:24.530 --> 00:47:29.453 Christ as Lord, 00:47:29.453 --> 00:47:35.550 suddenly life becomes an altogether different thing. 00:47:35.550 --> 00:47:39.288 I may need to offend family, 00:47:39.288 --> 00:47:42.318 not to offend Christ. 00:47:42.318 --> 00:47:45.240 I may have to get fired from my job, 00:47:45.240 --> 00:47:47.169 not to offend Christ. 00:47:47.169 --> 00:47:51.649 I may have to make radical decisions in my life to cut things out 00:47:51.649 --> 00:47:58.102 that I always thought they defined my life. 00:47:58.102 --> 00:47:59.802 I need to do that. 00:47:59.802 --> 00:48:01.014 You don't understand. 00:48:01.014 --> 00:48:03.440 I need to do that. 00:48:03.440 --> 00:48:07.287 Oh wait. 00:48:07.287 --> 00:48:12.349 The Lord does not share His throne with anyone. 00:48:12.349 --> 00:48:17.110 He comes in, and He says, in Luke 14:33, 00:48:17.110 --> 00:48:18.961 "Unless you forsake all that you have, 00:48:18.961 --> 00:48:21.002 you cannot be My disciple." 00:48:21.002 --> 00:48:25.674 This Lord comes in and He says, "I will be Lord of all." 00:48:25.674 --> 00:48:27.955 He is Lord of all. 00:48:27.955 --> 00:48:31.706 Let me tell you something too. 00:48:31.706 --> 00:48:37.631 We don't make Jesus Lord. 00:48:37.631 --> 00:48:42.326 God declared that He made this Christ 00:48:42.326 --> 00:48:46.578 both Lord and Christ. 00:48:46.578 --> 00:48:48.447 He made Him. 00:48:48.447 --> 00:48:53.629 We don't make Him so. He is so. 00:48:53.629 --> 00:48:57.357 I can remember as a new Christian, 00:48:57.357 --> 00:48:59.925 suddenly being confronted, 00:48:59.925 --> 00:49:03.528 the Lord wants me to obey 00:49:03.528 --> 00:49:05.886 the governmental authorities. 00:49:05.886 --> 00:49:08.384 He wants my taxes paid, 00:49:08.384 --> 00:49:10.360 He wants me to drive the speed limit. 00:49:10.360 --> 00:49:12.758 I remember being confronted by those things. 00:49:12.758 --> 00:49:17.012 He wants me to only find a wife who is saved. 00:49:17.012 --> 00:49:19.410 He basically has say. 00:49:19.410 --> 00:49:21.700 He wants me to not forsake the assembling together 00:49:21.700 --> 00:49:26.330 of myself; He wants me to be involved with the church. 00:49:26.330 --> 00:49:30.140 I see that He is reigning in my life. 00:49:30.140 --> 00:49:33.509 That no longer do my agendas and my will, 00:49:33.509 --> 00:49:35.717 my plans take the day. 00:49:35.717 --> 00:49:38.991 He's got plans for me. 00:49:38.991 --> 00:49:41.862 He comes in and says, 00:49:41.862 --> 00:49:43.762 "I want it all forsaken." 00:49:43.762 --> 00:49:45.923 "Lay it down." 00:49:45.923 --> 00:49:48.533 Resignation. 00:49:48.533 --> 00:49:50.976 There are folks on every hand that will tell you 00:49:50.976 --> 00:49:53.034 about a Christ who doesn't demand 00:49:53.034 --> 00:49:54.599 everything from you. 00:49:54.599 --> 00:49:57.271 I'll tell you why. 00:49:57.271 --> 00:50:01.988 Because men want to hold on to their sin 00:50:01.988 --> 00:50:06.459 and be spared death and wrath and hell. 00:50:06.459 --> 00:50:08.828 And so in one hand, they hold their sin. 00:50:08.828 --> 00:50:11.104 In one hand, they want to create a Christ 00:50:11.104 --> 00:50:12.830 that will take them to heaven without 00:50:12.830 --> 00:50:14.420 letting go of all the sin. 00:50:14.420 --> 00:50:17.372 Christ marches in there and He says, 00:50:17.372 --> 00:50:24.171 "I'll save you, but you've got to receive Me as Lord." 00:50:24.171 --> 00:50:29.089 "You've got to abandon everything to My Lordship." 00:50:29.089 --> 00:50:32.613 When He says, "Follow Me," 00:50:32.613 --> 00:50:34.936 that's exactly what He's calling you to do. 00:50:34.936 --> 00:50:36.483 Forsake it all. 00:50:36.483 --> 00:50:40.456 Whatever agenda you had in life 00:50:40.456 --> 00:50:44.448 to make money, to be famous, to be well-educated, 00:50:44.448 --> 00:50:46.483 whatever it is, He says, "Lay it down." 00:50:46.483 --> 00:50:49.358 That's not to say as Lord He may not let you go to school. 00:50:49.358 --> 00:50:50.825 That's not to say that as Lord, He may not 00:50:50.825 --> 00:50:52.754 give you a lot of money. 00:50:52.754 --> 00:50:54.746 I'll tell you what, one place 00:50:54.746 --> 00:50:59.460 that men's hearts can be tested in this area is money. 00:50:59.460 --> 00:51:02.862 He comes in, He says, "I want it all." 00:51:02.862 --> 00:51:04.395 Lord, it's 10%! 00:51:04.395 --> 00:51:07.273 He says, "I want it all. I am Lord." 00:51:07.273 --> 00:51:09.464 "I am Lord of Lords." 00:51:09.464 --> 00:51:10.410 "I am Lord of all." 00:51:10.410 --> 00:51:11.655 "I am Lord of you." 00:51:11.655 --> 00:51:13.543 "I'm Lord of all you have." 00:51:13.543 --> 00:51:16.355 He says, "I want it all." 00:51:16.355 --> 00:51:18.897 "And I'll explain to you how I want you to use it." 00:51:18.897 --> 00:51:22.749 Again, this isn't harsh. This isn't torturous. 00:51:22.749 --> 00:51:24.031 You know what He's saying to us? 00:51:24.031 --> 00:51:26.570 "I want to show you how to use it 00:51:26.570 --> 00:51:31.820 for your greatest eternal benefit." 00:51:31.820 --> 00:51:34.272 Men say, no, I'm going to use my money 00:51:34.272 --> 00:51:35.198 the way I want. 00:51:35.198 --> 00:51:39.157 Christ comes in as Lord, and He says, 00:51:39.157 --> 00:51:43.554 "Don't lay up treasure on this earth." 00:51:43.554 --> 00:51:45.521 Oh, but I've got my retirement; 00:51:45.521 --> 00:51:47.084 I've got my deal. 00:51:47.084 --> 00:51:51.176 Certainly, He wouldn't want that. 00:51:51.176 --> 00:51:53.824 Oh, how culturally, we can just dismiss 00:51:53.824 --> 00:51:57.700 the words of our Lord. 00:51:57.700 --> 00:52:00.984 He's Lord. 00:52:00.984 --> 00:52:03.317 You say, well, what would He have me to do 00:52:03.317 --> 00:52:04.198 with my money? 00:52:04.198 --> 00:52:06.811 Take care of your family? Yep. 00:52:06.811 --> 00:52:08.900 Provide for your needs? Absolutely. 00:52:08.900 --> 00:52:11.310 Provide for those who preach the Gospel? 00:52:11.310 --> 00:52:12.958 You'd better believe it. 00:52:12.958 --> 00:52:16.724 Give it to those who are widows and orphans? 00:52:16.724 --> 00:52:19.436 Absolutely. 00:52:19.436 --> 00:52:21.082 Does He say that you've got to have this 00:52:21.082 --> 00:52:23.230 big surplus for a future day? 00:52:23.230 --> 00:52:24.866 He doesn't say that. 00:52:24.866 --> 00:52:28.838 Scripture says, "My God shall supply all your needs." 00:52:28.838 --> 00:52:30.486 This is what it's all about. 00:52:30.486 --> 00:52:31.952 Trusting the Lord. 00:52:31.952 --> 00:52:33.967 I can say, "ok, Lord, I'm going to give it all away." 00:52:33.967 --> 00:52:35.351 Haven't we seen that as a church? 00:52:35.351 --> 00:52:37.458 Ok, Lord, we're going to give it all away. 00:52:37.458 --> 00:52:39.743 In fact, Lord, we're going to commit to giving even more away 00:52:39.743 --> 00:52:42.518 than we even have or ever have had. 00:52:42.518 --> 00:52:43.937 We're going to give it away. 00:52:43.937 --> 00:52:46.057 And we're looking to Him. "You're Lord." 00:52:46.057 --> 00:52:48.291 Cattle on a thousand hills. They're Yours. 00:52:48.291 --> 00:52:50.837 All the money, all the silver, all the gold, it's Yours. 00:52:50.837 --> 00:52:52.453 I mean, He's Lord. 00:52:52.453 --> 00:52:55.406 If He tells us to do it, 00:52:55.406 --> 00:52:58.165 we're not going to be losers for doing it. 00:52:58.165 --> 00:53:00.115 He's Lord. 00:53:00.115 --> 00:53:02.700 Folks, I want you that visit, 00:53:02.700 --> 00:53:04.965 I want you that are members of this church, 00:53:04.965 --> 00:53:06.505 let's talk that way. 00:53:06.505 --> 00:53:09.346 Hey, let's go back to the book of Acts. 00:53:09.346 --> 00:53:10.739 That's our pattern. 00:53:10.739 --> 00:53:13.051 That's our blueprint. 00:53:13.051 --> 00:53:14.996 How many times do you think in the book of Acts 00:53:14.996 --> 00:53:17.377 they called Christ Savior? 00:53:17.377 --> 00:53:20.951 Twice. 00:53:20.951 --> 00:53:24.520 How many times do you think they called Him Lord? 00:53:24.520 --> 00:53:27.083 92 times. 00:53:27.083 --> 00:53:29.461 In the New Testament, Jesus Christ 00:53:29.461 --> 00:53:33.458 is called Lord 747 times. 00:53:33.458 --> 00:53:35.196 You can remember that, right? 00:53:35.196 --> 00:53:36.928 747 just like the aircraft. 00:53:36.928 --> 00:53:38.167 You've got it down. 00:53:38.167 --> 00:53:41.880 I took that number from MacArthur who counted them. 00:53:41.880 --> 00:53:44.987 Or at least read somebody who did count them. 00:53:44.987 --> 00:53:46.850 I knew he said something about that. 00:53:46.850 --> 00:53:47.896 I looked at the back page of 00:53:47.896 --> 00:53:48.804 "The Gospel According to Jesus" 00:53:48.804 --> 00:53:50.253 and I found 92 times. 00:53:50.253 --> 00:53:51.964 I went through and counted in Acts. 00:53:51.964 --> 00:53:53.072 I had 91. 00:53:53.072 --> 00:53:56.164 Then I opened MacArthur; he said 92, so I took 92. 00:53:56.164 --> 00:54:00.695 And maybe the translational difference. I don't know. 00:54:00.695 --> 00:54:05.579 Folks, the early church and the Holy Spirit 00:54:05.579 --> 00:54:08.149 who inspired those early church writers 00:54:08.149 --> 00:54:09.687 wanted us to know 00:54:09.687 --> 00:54:12.194 the Christ we set forth, 00:54:12.194 --> 00:54:13.970 the Christ we proclaim to men, 00:54:13.970 --> 00:54:17.265 the Christ we must believe on, 00:54:17.265 --> 00:54:20.779 He is Lord. 00:54:20.779 --> 00:54:22.364 Amen. 00:54:22.364 --> 00:54:23.760 You're dismissed.