1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040 Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Inglewood 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Thank you so much for tuning into our podcast. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,080 about important issues facing your life that can guide you 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:22,360 according to the Bible. Well, good morning, Inglewood. 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,120 Take your Bibles this morning and turn to John chapter 3. 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,280 We are no longer in Acts for now. 9 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,680 You notice on the front of your worship guide, you'll see the 10 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,040 core training series that we're doing on Wednesday nights. 11 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,680 Had a great time. Appreciate the hundreds of folks 12 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:40,440 are showing up for that. Appreciate you all. 13 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,160 If you'll come back this Wednesday night, we're going to 14 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:45,840 continue to talk about some of the things that we must believe 15 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,240 in order to be a Christian, some of the things we must believe in 16 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,000 order to be saved. Some of those primary doctrines 17 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,520 heals worth dying on. We'll eventually get to some of 18 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,000 the more secondary and tertiary doctrines, but having a good 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,520 time, important stuff that we're studying together and appreciate 20 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,959 that. Appreciate so much those who 21 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,280 have been helping Teresa and I over the last several months and 22 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,320 moving the 14,000 times that we've had to move stuff. 23 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,000 And we are now residing and spending the night and 24 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,040 functionally operating in Nashville, NC. 25 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:20,960 So we appreciate that. Yeah, sure. 26 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:26,400 So the rule at the house is, is if you can come anytime, if you 27 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,280 want to eat hot, let us know. So otherwise just come on. 28 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,560 But and you might have to help unload some cardboard. 29 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,000 But anyway, so appreciate you being there. 30 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,080 Listen, a, a recent genetic study showed you'll like this, 31 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:46,360 that napping, napping can decrease brain aging by 2 1/2 to 32 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,760 6 1/2 years. And so I just want to thank you 33 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:51,880 for coming to my sermons. I told you they'd be good for 34 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:52,880 you. So appreciate you. 35 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,600 In this new sermon series, we're going to talk about several 36 00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,280 important things. I'm going to ask a series of 37 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,760 very important foundational questions about the church and 38 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,240 about discipleship, about who we are as believers. 39 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,320 And so we need to be on the same page to best serve together in 40 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,720 unity. And so I just want to invite you 41 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,240 to come be the King's Bride for the next few weeks. 42 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,960 This is a introductory series that's going to lead us to our 43 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,280 fall teaching and series on the essentials of discipleship. 44 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,800 But between this and Wednesday night, this will become very 45 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,920 important as we lay some theological and ecclesiological 46 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:29,760 foundations. That may sound like big words, 47 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,120 but don't let that worry you. We're just talking about the 48 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,800 Bible. And so one of the things that we 49 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,640 need to think about today is we need to lay an ecclesiological 50 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:43,040 foundation, not by reciting some profound, some profound 51 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,240 treatise, but by sharing one of the most well known verses of 52 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,000 Scripture in the Bible. And my belt just gave way. 53 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,040 Isn't that impressive? So the only important part of 54 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,120 that is it holds the microphone on there. 55 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,760 So this was an old belt that I found in a box because we have 56 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:01,720 lots of boxes right now. We'll just see what happens 57 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:07,520 here. Are the lights still on? 58 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,200 All right, so here we go. I want to share this with you, 59 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,000 not by sharing some profound treatise, but by actually 60 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,280 sharing one of the most well known verses in all of the 61 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,240 Bible. In fact, in John 3A, Pharisee 62 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,720 named Nicodemus comes to Jesus and secretly he comes at night. 63 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,080 He wanted to ask about who Jesus really was and why Jesus had 64 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,120 really come, why he was there. And you may frankly be here this 65 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,040 morning seeking some of those same answers about Christ. 66 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,880 You may want to know who he really is and why he really 67 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:40,160 came. And so this morning will be 68 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,800 helpful to you. But for a lot of us, I'm going 69 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,880 to begin with a vital question that you might kind of consider 70 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,040 basic review. But I promise you, by the time 71 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,160 we're done this morning, I don't think you'll think that way. 72 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,400 I want to begin at the beginning of discipleship. 73 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,200 I want to begin at the beginning of of how we become a part of 74 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,640 the church. So I want to ask the question of 75 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:09,480 why do I need to be saved? That may seem like, well, you 76 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,200 may just think, take that for granted to think that's review. 77 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,680 But again, that's really not the truth because God won't answer 78 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,920 you and you may be here and you really need this because you're 79 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,000 not sure about your salvation and God will answer you if you 80 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,200 honestly seek him and and openly listen to what he has to say. 81 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,800 So Jesus revealed these answers to Nicodemus about himself in an 82 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,120 honest conversation about being born again. 83 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,160 He referred to the Old Testament. 84 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:40,120 He bridges the gap with this Jewish religious leader. 85 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:45,520 And then he shares verse 16. So let me pray for us as I begin 86 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,160 this sermon about John 316. It's interesting. 87 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,640 It's one of the most well known verses of all the Bible, but I 88 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,200 actually hear very few sermons about it. 89 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,200 And then we're going to go from some implications of John 316 90 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,080 into an area that I think will be very helpful to you. 91 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,840 So let me pray for us. Father, we thank you so much for 92 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:07,520 your love and your grace. We thank you, Father, for the 93 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,960 way that you work in our lives and you lead us. 94 00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:13,400 And I just pray, Father, that you'll guide us as we look at 95 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,760 your word and we we think about Father, who we need to be in 96 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,800 order to be a believer, in order to be saved, in order, Father, 97 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,560 to truly be a Christian. We're so thankful for that 98 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,200 opportunity. In Christ's name, Amen. 99 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,880 All right, John 316 is called the little Gospel, the Bible in 100 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,480 one verse. And here we discover why we must 101 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:40,640 be saved, why we must believe in a king who's seeking after us. 102 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,360 John 316 and I'm in the ESV version. 103 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,280 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that 104 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:51,000 whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal 105 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,160 life. Now, for Christians, that ought 106 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,960 to produce an Amen. For Christians that ought to 107 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,280 assure us and talk to us about what our salvation means. 108 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:05,000 But we're going to break this down word for word, frankly, and 109 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,320 I want to first of all talk about the source of salvation 110 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:14,480 for God so loved. See, salvation originates with 111 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,000 and originates from God's nature. 112 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:22,320 You understand that sentence? It's God's nature that produces 113 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:27,600 the opportunity for salvation. He creates, sustains, and saves 114 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:32,200 from his nature of love, right? And in this nature of love, and 115 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,320 in this passage, it is agape love. 116 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,480 You might know that word and agape. 117 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,920 Love is a decision. It's a direction of the will. 118 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,280 It's not some emotional reaction. 119 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,560 This is actually a determined act of the will to love no 120 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,800 matter what. It expects nothing. 121 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,440 It gives everything. Though. 122 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,200 Those things aren't deserved. It's really hard for human 123 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,480 beings to wrap their heads around agape. 124 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,760 It's hard for us in our sinful nature to understand agape. 125 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:08,760 We want self created definitions of justice and right, and we 126 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,760 expect to earn and get what we deserve. 127 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,480 And we want others to get what we believe they deserve 128 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:19,200 according to the definitions of deserve that we create. 129 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,360 Well, that's a problem. And that's an incorrect 130 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,440 beginning point, which leads us to some real false teaching 131 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,560 about salvation and the understanding of salvation. 132 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,960 See, our sin nature can't understand agape that comes from 133 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,640 God's love nature. You've got a battle of nature's 134 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,320 going on that we've got to understand. 135 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,880 But this incorrect beginning point leads to a multiple, 136 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,680 multiple errors in belief and also multiple errors in 137 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,320 judgment. I assure you, you need to be 138 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,680 very grateful. You do not get what you deserve. 139 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,440 So this willful choice by God to love unconditionally then 140 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:58,640 becomes the basis of what we call grace. 141 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,600 So it becomes this basis of grace and it's the initiator of 142 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,480 salvation. You could not and will never be 143 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,000 able to save yourself. So you, you cannot, you can 144 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,800 never do what is required to do for your salvation. 145 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:18,920 You can't create the opportunity in your sin nature by yourself. 146 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,360 See, so church is not enough. Goodness is not enough. 147 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,640 Even joining a Connect group, which you all should be doing by 148 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:33,880 now, is still not enough, right? We need someone else to save us, 149 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,799 because true salvation has a sole source. 150 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:44,080 So thankfully graciously, God wants us to know him and he 151 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,440 wants us to know his love for us. 152 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:49,520 But but who is us? That's a good important 153 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,200 question. Who for God? 154 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,000 So who did he love? Who? 155 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,760 Who are US? Who be it? 156 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,360 Who be us? So the second thing we need to 157 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,200 learn is the object of salvation. 158 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,560 Now stay with me for a few minutes and we're going to get 159 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:05,800 to something totally different because I want you to see this. 160 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:11,280 The the object of salvation is the world for God so loved the 161 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,480 world tone Cosmone. Now you need to understand that 162 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:18,920 this is literally the sum total of all the persons living on 163 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,000 this planet. It's not the planet itself, it's 164 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,600 the people on the planet, right? And so this is your neighbor, 165 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,240 this is your family. This are your friends. 166 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:33,240 This is folks in Taiwan, folks in Pittsburgh, everybody on the 167 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,200 planet. God loves us, all of us, even in 168 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,600 our wrecked state. Now that may seem fine to you. 169 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:42,640 That may seem wonderful to you. I hope it does. 170 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,400 You've got to understand there are people who theologically 171 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,320 disagree with what I just said. There are some people who 172 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,640 believe that God only loves the elect. 173 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,680 God only loves those he knows will be saved. 174 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:00,360 Well, I disagree with this. I disagree with this based upon 175 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,680 this verse and several other verses because there are 176 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,640 biblical passages that'll tell us that that's just not true. 177 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,160 When I taught at one of our seminaries, a different seminary 178 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,880 than Southeastern, I've taught and been in administration at 179 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,080 two of our seminaries. And when I was at Southern 180 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,000 Seminary, I used to have students and some of them would 181 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,240 believe this, that God only loves the elect and I'd have 182 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:21,720 them in class and they'd want to debate with me and argue with 183 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,200 me. Be careful about if you want to 184 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,560 do that because you might just get taken up on that option. 185 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:30,000 And I'd bring them to my office and I, without exaggeration, 186 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,000 before it's over, they're weeping on the floor of my 187 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,200 office, laying on the floor of my office, weeping audibly 188 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,720 because I could show them in Scripture that Jesus loves 189 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:45,920 sinners and that we must too. You cannot make this verse mean 190 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:50,040 something that it does not mean theologically or linguistically. 191 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:52,960 You can't twist the words around to mean something else. 192 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,600 So the next verse even reinforces his love for the 193 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,360 entire world. Verse 17 For God did not send 194 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,320 His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order 195 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,000 that the world might be saved through Him. 196 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:11,040 John also wrote in his epistles in first John chapter 2 verse 2. 197 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:15,920 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but 198 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,760 also for the sins of what? The whole world, the whole 199 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,000 world. Now listen, we all deserve 200 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,520 judgment and death because of our sin, right? 201 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:30,640 Anything and everything that we do that we say, that we think 202 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:35,120 that is contrary to God's word and will is sin and we have all 203 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,480 sinned. The Bible's clear about that. 204 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,480 Remember, you know, Romans 323. Many of you for all have sinned 205 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,360 and fall short of the glory of God. 206 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,840 But God, listen to me now in His nature of perfection and 207 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,400 holiness, which is also a part of His nature, part of His 208 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,640 nature's love, but part of His nature is perfection and 209 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,160 holiness. And in this aspect of His 210 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:03,480 nature, he cannot simply ignore sin and remain who He is. 211 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,320 If he ignores sin, he is no longer God. 212 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:11,600 It would violate His nature. So anybody who sends or asks 213 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,240 that question of how could a loving God send anyone to hell? 214 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,880 Well, he doesn't. You send yourself there. 215 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,480 You're making choices and you're sending yourself there, right? 216 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:28,280 And so sin must be punished. There must be a price that's 217 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:33,200 paid. We need to be saved, so we can't 218 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,200 pull that off by ourselves. We need someone else to do that 219 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,880 regardless of your current sin, regardless of your current 220 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,840 status. So God and his nature of love. 221 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,720 Now listen to this statement. God and His nature of love acts 222 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,440 to fulfill His nature of perfection and holiness. 223 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,080 You with me. He has to do that to be 224 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:55,480 consistent. So in Romans 5/8 it says, but 225 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,520 God shows his love for us and that why we were still sinners. 226 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:05,000 Christ died for us, but God. See, but God planned to love and 227 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,680 save from the very beginning. He always knew. 228 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,560 Your sin doesn't surprise him, your status doesn't. 229 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:15,320 You don't catch Him off guard, but you also can't escape His 230 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,600 plan. Listen, His plan's real simple. 231 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,440 Either you need to trust in Him and be saved for eternity or 232 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:24,280 you're going to perish in hell forever, in eternity. 233 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:26,720 Those are your options and there are no other options. 234 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,080 We need to be saved, and the world needs to know this, and we 235 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,160 have to tell them. So I'm going to be teaching 236 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:38,200 personal evangelism as clearly and as and as and as quickly as 237 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,520 I can in the fall. Need you to be there so we can 238 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,240 learn how to share this in the greatest ways. 239 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,520 So God's a source. We're the object. 240 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:51,280 John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. 241 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:54,440 So the third thing we've got to see is the gift of salvation He 242 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,560 gave. He gave his only Son. 243 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:02,000 God's intentional sacrifice was always the plan, a perfect, 244 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:07,560 complete, permanent, unrepeatable sacrifice by Jesus. 245 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,680 And it's incredibly costly. There's nothing flippant about 246 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:13,280 salvation. This was costly. 247 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,720 He gave his only son the word used here. 248 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,600 And John's the only one who uses this word in all the Bible. 249 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:23,960 He uses the word mono genes or mono genus, which means 1 gene. 250 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,760 Think about that mono gene, one-of-a-kind. 251 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,760 Jesus is absolutely unique. There is no one else like him. 252 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,880 In fact, in a few Wednesday nights from now, I'm going to be 253 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,960 teaching about why we must believe about what we must about 254 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,880 Jesus and why that matters. You need to know what you 255 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,280 understand about the Bible that's coming up, and you need 256 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:45,480 to know what you understand about Jesus. 257 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,720 Those are primaries. If we don't understand those two 258 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,560 things, we're not going to be able to deal with this world 259 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,000 apologetically. We're also not going to be 260 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,360 saved. And so he's the unique one. 261 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,040 He's the only one of his type. And John uses this word to 262 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,240 describe God the Son, Jesus to God the Father. 263 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,120 It's unique. One of the things you'll notice. 264 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:06,960 Now stick with me. I'm sorry being technical, but 265 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,120 stick with me for a second. Jesus in the entire Bible is 266 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,520 never called a Tecnon. That's the common word for a 267 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,120 child. Tecnon. 268 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:21,640 He is the Huios, the son. So we are Tecnon, Theo, we are 269 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,080 children of God. And it's a word that would be 270 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,480 used. Jesus is the hueyos theu. 271 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,840 He is the Son of God because he is God. 272 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:32,960 He is different. He's not like us. 273 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,320 He's totally unique. So we cannot give the gift of 274 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,640 salvation to ourselves. We must receive it. 275 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:41,640 We're not adequate for the sacrifice. 276 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:43,760 Somebody perfect had to be adequate. 277 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:48,720 And so the Bible says in Romans 5-6, while we were still weak at 278 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,720 the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 279 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:56,440 Now this is really important. This is one reason Christianity 280 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,520 is the only real truth, because it's the only belief system that 281 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:04,760 teaches this grace. God became man and this perfect 282 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,800 God, man lived a perfect life and made a perfect sacrifice for 283 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,440 you. And since Jesus does perfect 284 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:15,640 work, we rely upon his grace gift for salvation. 285 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,920 He came to die on the cross and rise again. 286 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,000 And that story is what we call good news. 287 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,040 We call it the gospel and by it you need to be saved. 288 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,120 The Hindus that you saw in this video are are in works 289 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,560 righteousness mode. They're somehow trying to 290 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,680 appease a fear based religion, Hinduism, and they're somehow 291 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,360 trying to appease these gods, millions of them at times in 292 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:41,200 order to earn some salvation or reincarnation or whatever their 293 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:46,400 hope is for next. John 316 for God so loved the 294 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,760 world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him. 295 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,680 See the fourth thing we've got to see is the opportunity for 296 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,080 salvation. We've got to recognize that 297 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,240 whoever believes, and I've shared this word with you 298 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,080 before, but you need to know a few of these words. 299 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,200 Piste Uwan is the verb for faith. 300 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,680 So in other words, you could translate the word believes in 301 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,720 all these passages. As faiths, He faiths, we have to 302 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:12,079 faith in Jesus. So faith is not just a 303 00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:13,800 knowledge. It's more than knowledge. 304 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,079 Saving faith is more than that. It means to have complete 305 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:21,200 confidence in it means to fully rely upon it means to trust in 306 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,599 it means to cling to with your entire weight, with your entire 307 00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:27,119 hope. Everything relies upon this 308 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,360 thing and the concept of lordships built in here. 309 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,080 You don't get to be that way with and think that Jesus is 310 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,160 just your Savior. He also has to be your Lord. 311 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,400 He has to be your boss. You have to live differently. 312 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,640 True faith is going to lead you to confession and repentance. 313 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,880 True faith changes. True faith transforms. 314 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:50,680 You need to be saved and we must faith in Christ's gift so that 315 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,280 we can since we don't know who will or will not be saved. 316 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,960 We also need to give everyone the opportunity to hear the 317 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,840 gospel because he's sacrificed for all, but not all will 318 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,360 believe. I know that because the Bible 319 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:06,960 tells us that. Since I don't know who will 320 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,600 believe, I need to share with everybody and let God pick out 321 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:15,120 the whosoever's. But finally, also recognize this 322 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:16,720 number 5. And here we go. 323 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:21,480 Buckle up, curl your toes in. I want to talk about the 324 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:25,400 assurance of salvation. I was told after the last 325 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,520 service it was the first time they'd ever actually heard a 326 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,800 sermon about this. Listen closely to this teaching. 327 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:35,240 This is an important doctrine. John 316 For God so loved the 328 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,920 world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him 329 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:43,240 should not perish, but have present tense eternal life. 330 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,000 Let me give you a literal translation of that last part. 331 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,080 May not be destroyed or killed eternally, but may have 332 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:57,160 spiritual life not limited by time. 333 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,800 The promise of saving faith is real. 334 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,640 You have eternal life if you've been saved. 335 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,520 That's present tense. In fact, what it means is you 336 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:10,640 have it and you keep on having it. 337 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,520 That's a key. So I need to share this 338 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,240 important doctrine with it because there is misled teaching 339 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,320 and poor interpretations of scripture surrounding it. 340 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,440 Now listen very carefully what I'm going to say as slowly as I 341 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,120 can. Some of you this morning or 342 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:29,120 listening online may disagree with me this morning and you 343 00:19:29,120 --> 00:19:33,600 will even think you know why. Others are going to agree with 344 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:40,080 me and not even know why. So we all need this and I need 345 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:44,000 you to listen to me the whole thing before you start emailing 346 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,000 me, OK? Because there's going to be, 347 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:50,120 well, what about, well, what about well, just listen, easy. 348 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,760 Listen. Some use passages out of context 349 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,440 to teach that which is not biblical. 350 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,160 So please hear me when I teach you what the Bible actually 351 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,560 says. You need to be saved and you 352 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:06,840 need to know that you have eternal life. 353 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,080 Now other religious groups, as I've mentioned many times, they, 354 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,280 they have a hope. So I wish I pray. 355 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,600 I pray I can make it. There are groups within 356 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,680 Christendom, within what they call Christian life, and they 357 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,400 believe that. Some of you may come from a 358 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,800 tradition that believes you can lose your salvation. 359 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,320 Some of you may still be in that tradition. 360 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:28,600 There are churches all around us that would believe that. 361 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:33,120 But there's a problem with it. The truth that I'm about to 362 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:34,280 teach. You're going to separate 363 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,800 biblical Christianity from misled or false teaching. 364 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:42,200 First, a Christian can know for sure they are saved. 365 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:45,680 And secondly, a truly saved person cannot lose their 366 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,560 salvation. But what about? 367 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:48,960 But what about? But what about? 368 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,640 I know, I know all the passages. Don't throw Hebrew 6 at me. 369 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,560 It won't work for you. That's not what it says. 370 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,320 You got to understand, I don't throw revelation at me. 371 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,280 It's not what it says. I know all these passages. 372 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,520 So just listen for a minute before you say anything. 373 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,080 Focus. Listen to 1st John 5 for a few 374 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,960 minutes. I write these things to you who 375 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,560 believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that 376 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,200 you have eternal life. Now we can know this. 377 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,440 John couldn't write this under the inspiration of the Holy 378 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,000 Spirit if it wasn't true. So if we truly faith in Jesus, 379 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:29,360 we can truly know now why? I'm going to give you several 380 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:30,880 reasons. I'm going to draw you some 381 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:32,080 pictures. I'm going to help you 382 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,120 understand. So the first thing is salvation 383 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:38,920 is assured by its actual process. 384 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,960 This is key. We need to understand what 385 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:46,800 salvation really is and how salvation really takes place. 386 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:51,920 Because when there's uncertainty about how salvation occurs, 387 00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:56,120 there's going to be confusion later on about how it can be 388 00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:58,720 preserved. So some people believe, and we 389 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,880 got to dispel this. Some people believe that we can 390 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,760 earn and therefore deserve our salvation because we do more 391 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,640 good than bad. They're back on that holy scale 392 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:11,960 that I've talked about before. Let's be extremely clear. 393 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,920 As I've previously stated, no one earns or deserves salvation. 394 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,480 We don't do it on our own. We are all sinners and we've all 395 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,800 rebelled against God, and we have said we have done, we have 396 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,360 thought things that are contrary to His will and in His perfect 397 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:29,240 holiness. As I've said, in that nature of 398 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:33,800 God, God must punish sin. So we are lost sinners and we 399 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,640 deserve His punishment. So we are thus unable to achieve 400 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:42,600 His forgiveness on our own, and we're without hope by ourselves. 401 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:48,520 Someone sinless, someone perfect, had to pay the sin 402 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:53,160 price. We need to be saved, and we 403 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,000 totally rely upon God's grace for this. 404 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,640 Remember what Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 2 405 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,600 beginning verse 4. But God being rich in mercy, 406 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,800 because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we 407 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,040 were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with 408 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:11,000 Christ. By grace you have been saved. 409 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,440 Go on to verse 8. Very familiar passage for by 410 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,400 grace you have been saved through faith and this is not 411 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,680 your own doing. It is the gift of God, not as a 412 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,520 result of works so that no one may boast. 413 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,640 Now listen, this is very important and and you need to 414 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,200 help your kids understand this and your neighbors understand 415 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:31,960 this. We don't have the power to save 416 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:36,480 ourselves, and this fact is a key to the security of your 417 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,280 salvation. If we don't have the power to 418 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:43,400 save ourselves, we also do not have the power to unsave 419 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:46,640 ourselves. It is simply not within our 420 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,680 realm of authority. That is not how salvation works. 421 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:53,360 Salvation works in a different way. 422 00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:57,080 Salvation is based upon the atoning work of Jesus Christ, 423 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,480 and as stated earlier, salvation is a gift from God. 424 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:03,440 Very familiar verse Roman Romans 623. 425 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,240 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is 426 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,640 eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 427 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:15,280 I am simply too limited in my sinful humanity, in my sin 428 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:20,080 nature, to be able to save or maintain salvation by or for 429 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,160 myself. So I am so thankful that that's 430 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,440 not how it works. God saves and helps me to 431 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,240 believe. You need to. 432 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,760 You need to be saved. If my good works can't save me, 433 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,920 then how can my bad works unsaved me? 434 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:38,360 It doesn't work that way. Where's the line? 435 00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:41,120 If it does, where's the line? Over the years I've had 436 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,200 conversations with friends who believe you can, people from 437 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:45,880 other denominational groups or whatever. 438 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:48,240 So where's the line? Where is it? 439 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,680 Is it one sin? 2 sins? 440 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:52,840 Three sins in a row? Really bad sin? 441 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,040 Where's the line? And who defines that line? 442 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:01,200 And where in Scripture is that exact point defined over and 443 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:02,600 over again? Just think about it. 444 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,320 If this were the truth, isn't it interesting we received no 445 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,640 specific warning in Scripture about such a vital line? 446 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,840 The Bible's full of detailed information about how to become 447 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,120 and how to live as a child of God. 448 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:17,960 And if that process could be reversed, doesn't it make sense 449 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,520 that at least one writer would have gone into great detail 450 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,480 explaining how that took place? It's just not there. 451 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:26,040 And again, you might say, well, what about this passage? 452 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,080 What about that? I'm telling you, listen to me. 453 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,440 I don't have time to walk through all those this morning. 454 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,800 I don't. Well, if we can later, maybe. 455 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:39,600 But those used most often, and I think I know those, those used 456 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,280 most often to make the argument that you can fall away from 457 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:47,680 salvation are misinterpreted when the original context, when 458 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,040 the original audience and when the original language is 459 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:53,920 actually considered, they're just not true. 460 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,520 That's not that's they're being misinterpreted again. 461 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,720 Again, you might say, well, what about listen, let's move. 462 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:05,080 Salvation is simply not based on a holy scale where if the good 463 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,040 outweighs the bad. Now that's what other religions 464 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:11,000 teach, every other world religion teaches, and it's all 465 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,080 works righteousness. They work their way up to please 466 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,720 the divine. Somehow the biblical salvation 467 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:17,320 is neither attained nor maintained. 468 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,560 In this way our sin is forgiven and our debt is covered by 469 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,000 Christ. Listen to 2nd Corinthians 470 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:27,080 chapter 5. For our sake He made him to be 471 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:32,760 sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the 472 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:36,520 righteousness of God. When God the Father looks at 473 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:40,560 those who have been saved, he sees the work and righteousness 474 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,520 of the Son. His righteousness has literally 475 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:47,720 been deposited into our account and our sin into His account in 476 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,920 a miraculous transaction that cannot be reversed. 477 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:55,920 And this is one reason we can know, one reason that we can be 478 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,920 sure. Charles Stanley actually wrote a 479 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,600 very good book about this. I appreciate his work and he's 480 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:04,600 helped me think through this over the years. 481 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,400 Even it's he says this, if Christ came to seek and to save 482 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:11,480 that which was lost, and yet we can somehow become unsaved and 483 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,960 therefore undo what Christ came to do, would it not be wise for 484 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,360 God to take us on to heaven the moment we are saved in order to 485 00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:22,240 ensure we make it? Isn't it unnecessarily risky to 486 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,640 force us to stay here? So salvation is assured by its 487 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,440 process, but you're going to like this part even better. 488 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,960 Salvation is assured by our position after salvation. 489 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,200 See the very I want you to see the very clear image of 490 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:42,480 Scripture of how secure true salvation really is by 491 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,280 understanding your new position in Christ once you're saved by 492 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,000 him. This is so important. 493 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:53,240 John chapter 10, verse 28. I give them eternal life and 494 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,040 they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my 495 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,760 hand. My Father who has given them to 496 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,520 me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out 497 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,400 of the Father's hands. So I literally translated this 498 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,520 and from the Greek, let me, let me just read the literal 499 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:12,960 translation for you. And I keep on giving them abide 500 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,760 age, abiding life. And not never in Greek you can 501 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,000 have double negatives and not means it's really strong and not 502 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,800 never shall they be destroyed under the age and not anything 503 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:25,600 shall snatch them out of my hand. 504 00:28:26,360 --> 00:28:29,360 My father who has given and that's written in attention, 505 00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:31,160 which means it's a completed work. 506 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,520 It's already done. Who has given to me is greater 507 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,800 than all. And no one is powerful to snatch 508 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,000 out of the Father's hands. I want you to get this. 509 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,760 So I got a little Jesus here. Anybody need a little bit of 510 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:42,480 Jesus? Here we go. 511 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:50,120 We are placed after salvation in God the Father's hand and God 512 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,480 the Son's hand. He has a hold of us there and 513 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,120 it's a tight grip. God holds us in His hand. 514 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:59,600 We do not hold on to God and salvation. 515 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:05,120 He gives it and is holding on to it and continues to give us our 516 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:08,400 salvation. So this is not about my grip on 517 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,920 God. We are held in the tight grip of 518 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:15,320 the sons and the Father's hands. Now, now watch this because it 519 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,960 gets a lot better. We're also hidden and locked 520 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,800 into place. Colossians 3 For you have died, 521 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,360 and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 522 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,080 When Christ, who is your life appears, then you will also 523 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,280 appear with Him in glory. Now the, the, the, the verb 524 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,760 there is hidden is a completed action carrying the idea of a 525 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:39,080 lock. We are completely locked in with 526 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,600 Christ, but the biblical image is still not complete. 527 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,840 We are held, we are hidden, we are locked, and then we are 528 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:50,000 sealed into place and guaranteed by the last member of the 529 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,520 Trinity. Look at Ephesians, one in Him. 530 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,800 You also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of 531 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,160 your salvation and believed in Him, were sealed with the 532 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,800 promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance 533 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,280 until we acquire possession of it to the praise of His glory. 534 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:10,080 So we are sealed and guaranteed by God the Holy Spirit. 535 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,040 The word sealed means that we're marked. 536 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,240 It's like the signet ring going into the wax. 537 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,760 We're sealed for security. We're sealed for preservation. 538 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:21,720 When God seals us, He also makes us His own possession, which is 539 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:25,240 why in first Corinthians 6 it says you we were bought with a 540 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,760 price. So this seal is permanent and it 541 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,000 marks us. We are guaranteed of our 542 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,600 inheritance. Listen to 2nd Corinthians 543 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:37,000 chapter 1. And it is God who establishes us 544 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,560 with you in Christ and has anointed us, and who has also 545 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:45,280 put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a 546 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,120 guarantee. You cannot be saved unless you 547 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,520 have the Holy Spirit who indwells you at the moment of 548 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:51,880 salvation. That's not a guess. 549 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:53,920 I'm not waiting for that later on. 550 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:55,720 He comes at the moment of salvation. 551 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:59,080 Listen to Romans 8. You, however, are not in the 552 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:03,160 flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in 553 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,320 you. Anyone who does not have the 554 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,640 Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 555 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,760 And so we know we're really saved by the presence of the 556 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,800 Holy Spirit in our lives. He is a witness to the work of 557 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,960 Christ in US. Now I want you to listen to a 558 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,720 couple more things. Salvation is assured by its 559 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:24,000 process, by our position. And the third thing I want you 560 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,520 to see is salvation is assured by God's power. 561 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:31,840 Now think about it. No sin we ever commit surprises 562 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:35,120 God. He knew what we would commit it 563 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:40,480 before He even created us. Think about this, for which of 564 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,760 your sins did Jesus die on the cross? 565 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,520 All of them? For for for which sins were you 566 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,440 forgiven when you believed in him as Savior and Lord? 567 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,480 Right. The timing of your sins is 568 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:56,680 irrelevant since they were all in the future. 569 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:58,320 From the perspective of the cross. 570 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:02,720 Jesus died for all the sins I've ever committed, all the sins 571 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:06,280 I'll commit today, all the sins I'll commit tomorrow. 572 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:11,480 So if our salvation is not secure, how could Jesus say with 573 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,920 assurance about those to whom He had given eternal life in John 574 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:19,200 10, when he says, I give them eternal life and they will never 575 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,760 perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand, how could 576 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,600 He say they will never perish? It could be in the future. 577 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:27,480 I mean, would they never sin again? 578 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,240 Well, yeah, they'd sin again. We're all sinners. 579 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,120 Even as Christians we stumble and fall. 580 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:37,480 But even if one Christian or one person were to receive eternal 581 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:42,280 life and then somehow forfeit that through sin, they make 582 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:45,800 Jesus out to be a liar. How can salvation be the 583 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:50,120 solution for sin and then be taken away because of sin? 584 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:54,720 That's not the way it works. No sin we commit after salvation 585 00:32:55,040 --> 00:33:01,040 is powerful enough to force open His hand, to unlock His lock, to 586 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,040 break His seal and undo His guarantee. 587 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,920 You got to understand this. True believers are held tightly 588 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,280 in the Father's hands, hidden and locked into place with the 589 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:14,440 Son, and sealed and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. 590 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:21,920 To break free from this position and power of salvation is to 591 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:27,400 claim that you are more powerful than the Triune God, and that's 592 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,360 just not right. How dare anyone assume such 593 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:34,240 authority to unsave? But what about? 594 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:35,320 What about? But what about? 595 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:36,520 What about? But what about? 596 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:42,160 So the last I want to talk about this salvation must result in 597 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:46,960 godly discipleship. So we're not simply free to sin 598 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,480 and do whatever we desire because we're safe and secure. 599 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:54,360 Genuine salvation is a life changing experience. 600 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:57,280 It's not spiritual perfection. We don't attain that here. 601 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,640 But it is a desire and an intentionality to be intimate 602 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:04,160 with God and not disobedient. So we must mourn over. 603 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:08,639 We must die to our sin. Paul talks about this in Romans 604 00:34:08,639 --> 00:34:10,560 6. He says, what shall we say then? 605 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:12,960 Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 606 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,920 By no means. How can we who died to stand 607 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,600 still live in it? So sin must not have dominion 608 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:23,360 over us any longer. So let me help you with this. 609 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:24,920 This will be important. This probably the part you 610 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:26,239 remember. So wake up from the nap. 611 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:29,040 This will be good. This is what you might help 612 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:32,000 somebody out there with, or even somebody, maybe yourself, maybe 613 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,520 somebody in your family. I want you to understand the 614 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:36,960 difference between fellowship and relationship. 615 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:41,440 These are very different things. My fellowship with God and my 616 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:43,719 relationship with God are not the same thing. 617 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:48,400 I might lose my fellowship with God when I sin, but I can't lose 618 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:52,159 my relationship with him. I I my, my fellowship might be a 619 00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:55,000 roller coaster at times, but the other is a certainty. 620 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:59,280 I I cannot change the fact. For example, my kids are going 621 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:02,320 to come over today for some belated birthday stuff and a 622 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,960 couple of the grandkids we're going to play in cardboard and 623 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,920 paper. And I cannot change the fact 624 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:12,640 that my children have been born and neither can they, right? 625 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:14,520 They're, they're already born. They can't change that. 626 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:18,280 And even if they deny me and they don't, we, we love each 627 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,400 other. But even if, even if my son were 628 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:26,240 to grow up and deny me, even if he was to move away as far away 629 00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:28,920 as he could, change his name, have nothing to do with me, deny 630 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:32,480 he ever knew me, deny he's my child, deny everything about me, 631 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,880 turn his back completely on us. He's still my son. 632 00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:43,080 He can't change the fact that he was born my son. 633 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:46,760 So even if they deny me, it doesn't change anything. 634 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:48,960 We have kids in Oklahoma. We don't have much fellowship 635 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,040 with them, which is unfortunate, but we still have a 636 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:54,520 relationship. So we cannot change the 637 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,160 relationship into which we are born. 638 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:01,640 And when we are saved, we are born again into a new 639 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:07,120 relationship, into his adoption. Listen to Romans 8, for you did 640 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:09,960 not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, 641 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:13,200 but you've received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we 642 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:16,440 cry. ABBA, Father, the Spirit Himself 643 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:21,400 bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God, or 644 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:24,200 Ephesians 1. Blessed be the God and Father of 645 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,080 our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every 646 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:30,000 spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He 647 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,760 chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we 648 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,640 should be holy and blameless before Him in love. 649 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:40,840 He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus 650 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,480 Christ according to the purpose of His will. 651 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:48,720 Why would God choose, before the foundation of the world, to 652 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:51,200 adopt someone He knew He'd have to unadopt? 653 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:56,080 If we say we can lose salvation, we are saying God does not have 654 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:59,360 the power to hold and to keep his own. 655 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:01,880 Now I know the practical problem. 656 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,480 I get it. The practical problem is, is 657 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:08,640 that we have all seen those who claim to be Christians, all 658 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:11,200 those who claim to be saved and then habitually live like 659 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:14,480 they're not. They claim Christ and then don't 660 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:16,960 live for him. That leaves us with just a few 661 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:19,800 options. One of them is is they were 662 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,480 never truly saved. Now I'm not the judge of this, 663 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,360 but either they were never truly saved in the 1st place or they 664 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,960 were and they've turned their back on the fellowship that they 665 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,240 have with God and they're habitually living as if they are 666 00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:37,360 not saved. And so we've got to be careful 667 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,720 because if they're acting like they do not believe, they act 668 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:43,840 like they're not saved. What a miserable place to be. 669 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,040 Both of those situations are miserable. 670 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,040 One is I'm lost and I don't have the Holy Spirit. 671 00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:51,880 The other one is I have the Holy Spirit but I'm acting like I 672 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:53,480 don't. Now listen, I've got a relative 673 00:37:53,480 --> 00:38:00,840 like this and I know when she was saved seemed as real as any 674 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,920 salvation I've ever seen. Again, I'm not the judge. 675 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:08,160 I don't know, but I but I've never met a more miserable human 676 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:09,640 being than this relative of mine. 677 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,400 And I believe with all my heart they got the Holy Spirit living 678 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:14,400 in them, the Holy Spirit just convicting and convicting and 679 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:16,320 convicting and pulling and convicting the whole time. 680 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:19,280 And they're just in this inner war constantly with what's going 681 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,240 on inside of them. What a miserable place to be. 682 00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:23,840 We've got to love these people and help them. 683 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:27,760 Now, none of us are perfect. We're all going to struggle. 684 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,320 We're all going to stumble. I mean, even Paul in Romans 7, 685 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,840 he says, well, I do not understand my own actions for I, 686 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,080 I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 687 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:41,200 But friends, it's a dangerous thing to hang on to sin after 688 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:43,240 God's grace has been extended to you. 689 00:38:43,240 --> 00:38:47,160 And we're not going to grow if we're not sensitive to sin. 690 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:50,600 We can't claim Christ and then also live for the world. 691 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,760 It's not going to work that way. We must be a changed people. 692 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:59,440 We need to be saved. We need salvation. 693 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:04,000 But when I do stumble and when I do sin as a saved person, I 694 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:07,880 don't have to get saved again. I can just go to God's word and 695 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:10,960 it says in first John one, if we say we have no sin, we deceive 696 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:12,680 ourselves and the truth is not in us. 697 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:16,760 If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us 698 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:19,120 our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 699 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:23,200 This is written to Christians. There is no optional 700 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,200 discipleship in the Bible that doesn't. 701 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,040 It doesn't work. We're saved to become part of 702 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:31,200 His bride so that we can be used in His mission. 703 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:35,320 But the carnal, sinful lifestyles of some people that 704 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:40,560 we know have made this doctrine very difficult to embrace at 705 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:42,960 times. And the lack of church 706 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:46,280 discipline, frankly, how seriously the church takes our 707 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:50,800 walk with God and our sin and an insufficient understanding of 708 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,600 sin and salvation. Add to this, so many people 709 00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:59,720 believe about Jesus, but they don't trust in Jesus and they 710 00:39:59,720 --> 00:40:01,960 think they're Christians. I mentioned that last week. 711 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:04,720 And some are going to cry, Lord, Lord, and he's going to deny 712 00:40:04,720 --> 00:40:06,960 him. So even being a church attender 713 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:10,880 or perhaps even a church member doesn't necessarily mean you're 714 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,160 saved. First, John chapter 2 says that 715 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:15,800 this. He calls that out. 716 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,840 He says they went out from us, but they were not of us. 717 00:40:19,240 --> 00:40:21,920 For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us, 718 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,440 but they went out that it might be complained that they are. 719 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:30,480 They are not of us. This is an old problem, and I 720 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,040 hope you understand what salvation truly means. 721 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,600 So finally, listen to this. Salvation is also assured by 722 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:40,760 God's promise. Romans 8 Who shall separate us 723 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,240 from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, 724 00:40:43,240 --> 00:40:45,840 or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or dangerous sword? 725 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,800 And then go on to verse 37. Knowing all these things, we are 726 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:52,040 more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 727 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,880 For I'm sure that neither death in our life, nor angels, nor 728 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,480 rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor 729 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:00,640 height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be 730 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,120 able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our 731 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,920 Lord. Last time I checked, I'm part of 732 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:11,880 anything else in all creation, so not even I can separate 733 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:16,080 myself from the love of God. There's nothing I can do to make 734 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:20,280 God love me more than He already does, and there's nothing there 735 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,680 also nothing I can do to make God love me less than He already 736 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:26,280 does. It's an amazing thing. 737 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,760 Couple of short verses just to help you in John 524 it says 738 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:34,320 truly, truly. I say to you, whoever hears my 739 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:38,000 word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. 740 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:43,000 He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to 741 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,000 life. Or one of the simplest gospel 742 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:48,560 verses of all, John 647. Truly, truly, I say to you, 743 00:41:48,720 --> 00:41:51,720 whoever believes has eternal life. 744 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:56,760 These are present tense, already done, already saved. 745 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:02,920 I already have eternal life. I'm already an eternal being. 746 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:04,720 It may be a weird, odd thing to say. 747 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:06,960 Wouldn't necessarily go out on the street corner and shout that 748 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:10,200 out, but but I'm an eternal being. 749 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:13,080 I'm just living the first part of it right here to help prepare 750 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:18,280 the bride for the groom and to help others join us in the 751 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:21,760 Kingdom. There was a song written about 752 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:24,600 this verse, second Timothy one it says, which is why I suffer 753 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:26,680 as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know 754 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:32,000 whom I have believed and I'm convinced that he is able to 755 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,720 guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 756 00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:40,600 I am convinced He is guarding me and my eternity. 757 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:46,000 You need to be saved to enjoy His blessing, to enjoy His 758 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:49,360 presence in your life, to know true peace, to know true hope, 759 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:53,120 to know true joy, to know true love, to understand comfort, to 760 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:56,040 know purpose, and to have assurance. 761 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:59,080 You don't need to fear your salvation. 762 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,040 So do you know for sure whether you're truly saved? 763 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:08,320 And is there any reason to not be sure right now? 764 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,040 And you, you might be saying that one day you're going to 765 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,120 nail this down. Listen, friends, you don't know 766 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:15,320 about one day, but why not nail down right now? 767 00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:19,440 Jesus paid the price for this to be possible. 768 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:23,000 And you need to believe that. You need to faith in that. 769 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:26,520 Teresa and I grew up in a little town called Tahlequah. 770 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:30,040 OK, Some of you've probably probably know that place well, 771 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:31,200 because of course, why wouldn't you? 772 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:36,520 And, and he's have a railroad that ran through town and there 773 00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:39,200 was old depot that up on the hill and, and, and it's hilly 774 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,160 country, it's Ozark country. So, so there's this massive hill 775 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,240 in town that goes down a, a major Rd. crosses Main Street 776 00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:47,800 and it's called Depot Hill, even though there's no train anymore. 777 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:53,440 And, and years ago there was a guy driving an 18 Wheeler and he 778 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:55,680 hit Depot Hill and his brakes went out. 779 00:43:56,920 --> 00:43:59,320 And so he starts accelerating and accelerating. 780 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:02,200 I mean, he's flying through residential neighborhoods. 781 00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:06,520 He has to fly through red lights across two or three streets that 782 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:09,800 are the main roads in town. And he he's avoiding everybody 783 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:12,000 along the way. And he thinks he's about to be 784 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:13,760 OK. But on the other side of the 785 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:16,760 main road, there's a City Park and and there's a Creek that 786 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:18,840 runs through there. And at the end of that, there's 787 00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:21,160 a tee and a big wall. And he sees that wall come in. 788 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:22,920 So he thinks, I'm going to ditch this into the Creek. 789 00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:24,800 That's the best thing to do. I'll put this truck right in the 790 00:44:24,800 --> 00:44:27,880 Creek. I mean, he's probably doing 70 791 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:29,800 or 80 or more. You know, he's just rushing 792 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:32,560 through all this. But as he gets closer, he looks 793 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:37,240 down and their children playing in the Creek, and he knows he 794 00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:42,080 can't put the truck there. And so he ends up slamming into 795 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:45,840 that wall and dying. Later. 796 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:50,840 He gave his life so that others might live. 797 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:56,240 Jesus died so we could become the Technon Theo, the children 798 00:44:56,240 --> 00:44:58,320 of God. Wow. 799 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:01,800 When we don't deserve that, right? 800 00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:07,280 Willing to give his life. I just wonder who needs to be 801 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:10,600 saved here this morning. These little Jesuses are funny. 802 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:13,200 We hand that to somebody who needs little Jesus today. 803 00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:16,080 Some of you know these things. We had a bag full of them at the 804 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:18,320 house and Teresa was playing with our five year old 805 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:20,880 granddaughter and she'd hide them around the house. 806 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:25,680 And then Elsie loved to go find all the Jesuses, and she'd find 807 00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:27,680 all the Jesus's and put them in a little red wagon. 808 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:30,480 And she was pulling that little red wagon around the house 809 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:34,480 shouting out who needs Jesus? Anybody need Jesus, Come get 810 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:42,530 Jesus. Who needs Jesus? 811 00:45:43,730 --> 00:45:46,810 Who needs? To be sure, I appreciated the 812 00:45:46,810 --> 00:45:49,010 woman who came in the first service to join us. 813 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:53,360 Who else needs to join us? Who else needs to be baptized? 814 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:55,920 Who needs to be saved? In just a moment, pastors will 815 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:58,520 be standing here. We have a Next Steps room right 816 00:45:58,520 --> 00:46:00,200 over here. We invite you to just go. 817 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,280 You can go directly to the Next Steps room if you want. 818 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:03,640 There are people in there who love you. 819 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:06,520 They want to pray with you can have a private conversation with 820 00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:09,320 folks trained and ready to help you, or you can come here and 821 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:11,240 pray at the steps. You can come and talk to one of 822 00:46:11,240 --> 00:46:15,680 us. Whatever you need to do, you 823 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:18,760 need to be saved and you need to know it. 824 00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:23,120 Father, thank you so much for your love and your grace. 825 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:28,000 Thank you, Father, that we don't have to wonder. 826 00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:34,280 We don't have to question. We don't have to hope. 827 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:40,200 We can be sure, Father. We can be absolutely certain. 828 00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:45,680 We can have no doubt. Father, I'm so thankful that as 829 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:50,040 I stand here this morning that I know beyond any shadow of a 830 00:46:50,040 --> 00:46:54,280 doubt that if I were to die today, then I'll be with you 831 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:57,320 forever. That changes everything about 832 00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:01,280 what I've got to do here now. So Father, I pray for those that 833 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:03,240 are here this day. There might be somebody who 834 00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:05,760 doesn't know you, Father, and I pray right now Your Holy Spirit 835 00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:08,400 would help them to understand the truth of the Gospel that 836 00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:10,440 Jesus is real. He died for them. 837 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:13,840 He's he rose again. He's the only one who can save 838 00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:16,560 them. Maybe there's somebody here and 839 00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:18,920 they need to make a decision about church membership or 840 00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:20,840 baptism. Maybe they just need prayer. 841 00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:27,040 So whatever the need, whatever the burden, Father, I just pray 842 00:47:27,040 --> 00:47:29,520 that you'll guide and you'll lead us right now, that we won't 843 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:33,000 rush through this, that we'll think carefully about what You 844 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:38,960 want us to do for you. We're so thankful for Your Word 845 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:44,600 and the fact that You want us to know You and to be sure in 846 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,360 Christ's name, Amen. Well, let's stand together. 847 00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:49,840 We're going to sing. Worship team is going to lead 848 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:52,000 us. We'll be right here to visit 849 00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:53,520 with you. But there are folks right there 850 00:47:53,520 --> 00:47:55,880 in that room. They would love to visit with 851 00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:57,600 you and pray with you. And you don't even have to come 852 00:47:57,640 --> 00:47:59,240 to one of us. You can go straight there. 853 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:02,120 You can come kneel at the steps, or we'd be glad to visit with 854 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:04,440 you as well. You come right now as we sing 855 00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:09,320 together. Thank you so much for listening 856 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:11,040 today, and I also hope that you'll go to 857 00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:14,840 ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com as well as our app and find many 858 00:48:14,840 --> 00:48:17,200 other resources that will bless you and your families. 859 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:18,400 Thank you once again.