1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,200 How about that Crossing Church? That's pretty awesome watching. 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,900 That, isn't it boy? God is not done. 3 00:00:06,900 --> 00:00:11,700 He keeps doing incredible work. So, thankful to see what he is 4 00:00:11,700 --> 00:00:14,000 doing well Crossing Church. How are you doing today? 5 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:18,800 Want to welcome everyone, that's joining, all of our locations, 6 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,100 all across this area inside and online. 7 00:00:22,100 --> 00:00:25,300 So thankful for each and every one of you. 8 00:00:25,300 --> 00:00:28,800 And I'm excited to be able to be here with you and to break the 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,800 bread of life with you. It's always great to be in the 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,500 house of the Lord, with the people of the Lord, learning the 11 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:39,200 word of the Lord together changes us. 12 00:00:39,700 --> 00:00:44,200 It incredible incredible ways. Happy Father's Day, Happy 13 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,500 Father's Day Grandfather's Day. Great grandfather's day. 14 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:55,200 Nobody gets to Bark or complain at you today, right? 15 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,500 And you get to eat where you want to, that's right. 16 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:04,900 Should at least be, at least be that So I got a call, a couple 17 00:01:04,900 --> 00:01:09,000 of weeks ago from a friend of mine in Kansas city named 18 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,400 Brandon Mims. It's a pastor there and been a 19 00:01:14,408 --> 00:01:16,900 friend for a long time. Haven't talked to him for a 20 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:21,400 while for quite a while and so he kind of calls me out of the 21 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,900 blue and goes, I don't know why I'm supposed to call you, but I 22 00:01:25,900 --> 00:01:28,900 just felt led by God to call you about. 23 00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:32,000 Somebody that is on my heart and I Thought maybe you might be 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:33,900 able to do something. I don't know what it might be. 25 00:01:34,500 --> 00:01:38,900 And he was telling me the story of a man named Martin Thomas who 26 00:01:38,900 --> 00:01:43,700 had been a pastor at, in the Kansas City area friend of 27 00:01:43,700 --> 00:01:47,900 Brandon was incarcerated broke. The law was incarcerated came 28 00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:54,600 out and then God laid it on his heart to do these halfway houses 29 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,100 for men as they come out of incarceration, back into the 30 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:00,800 world and how they could be discipled and built up. 31 00:02:01,300 --> 00:02:05,800 And as he was telling me this, I said you know we do that we have 32 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,000 we partner with two Ministries the well house and Fishers of 33 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,700 Men and we have different houses that accomplish that as well. 34 00:02:13,700 --> 00:02:16,800 He goes thatís. That's amazing that he had no 35 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,000 idea that we that we did that and that we connected with that. 36 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,900 And he gave me the fellas name and I gave him a call and just 37 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,500 just incredible guy and doing incredible work both in 38 00:02:29,900 --> 00:02:31,800 Indianapolis. Indiana. 39 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:36,900 And also, in Fort Wayne, and he has Ministry, is called 40 00:02:36,900 --> 00:02:41,500 Nazareth, man House ministries, which is like, oh, that's kind 41 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:44,700 of a, that's kind of a mouthful, it's an interesting and I was 42 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:48,400 asking him about that and he said, well, you know, there's a 43 00:02:48,408 --> 00:02:52,300 scripture in the bible where jesus is questioned kind of 44 00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:55,600 rhetorically and the question that was delivered to him. 45 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,500 Is there anything good that can come out of Nazareth? 46 00:02:59,900 --> 00:03:02,700 And he goes, that just fits us. Because so many people, they 47 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:04,000 think. Well if you've been 48 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,300 incarcerated, if you have this in your past, well then you're 49 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:11,500 kind of damaged goods and maybe God can't use you or anything 50 00:03:11,500 --> 00:03:13,800 like that. And that's what they were kind 51 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,300 of saying about Nazareth. And look what came out of 52 00:03:16,308 --> 00:03:19,500 Nazareth changed, the whole world changed my life, change 53 00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:24,900 your life, and what God can do is he can change lives and I was 54 00:03:24,900 --> 00:03:29,300 just excited to hear his testimony and so Went to the 55 00:03:29,300 --> 00:03:31,500 admissions committee, went to Clayton. 56 00:03:31,500 --> 00:03:33,800 I said, hey what do you think? Could we help them out? 57 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,900 So we send them six thousand dollars to keep them going and 58 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,600 hooked him up with some other Ministry. 59 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,200 People who might be able to keep him going after that because 60 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,400 some of their support had run dry. 61 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,300 So I don't think anybody likes it. 62 00:03:51,700 --> 00:03:54,900 When they get labeled or they get discounted in some way like 63 00:03:54,900 --> 00:03:57,000 can anything good? Like if you're from Nazareth 64 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,200 like what are you? I think we're actually the 65 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,100 opposite of that. Each one of us wants to feel 66 00:04:02,100 --> 00:04:06,300 special in some place. Some way we want to, we want to 67 00:04:06,308 --> 00:04:10,300 be noticed, we wanted to stand out and we try to make life 68 00:04:10,300 --> 00:04:13,800 choices to do that, right? It may be a group that we 69 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,500 identify with, maybe it's something in our appearance, 70 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:20,000 like the color, we dye, our hair, how many colors we dye our 71 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,100 hair and The language, we might use the music, we listen to the 72 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:28,600 clothes, we wear the car, we drive a sport, we like, and we 73 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,400 can do that individually and we can do that in groups and we can 74 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,700 even do that as a nation, right? We all want to be exceptional. 75 00:04:34,700 --> 00:04:38,300 We all want to stand out. I don't think anybody is saying, 76 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:41,000 I would just like to be a C- kind of a person. 77 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,700 I think everybody wants to excel in some way and stand out in 78 00:04:46,700 --> 00:04:51,000 some way, and I'm no different. I like to see that the crossing 79 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,000 is the best church ever. I would love to hear you say 80 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,400 that John and bassist John this great, right? 81 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,700 I want to be exceptional. Some I want to say we're the 82 00:05:00,700 --> 00:05:03,900 ones that this are we the ones that that is not to say that I'm 83 00:05:03,900 --> 00:05:06,600 casting judgment on others. I just want us to be the best 84 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,800 that we can be. I want that for my kids. 85 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:13,300 I want my kids to excel. I want them to be the best that 86 00:05:13,300 --> 00:05:15,700 they can be, right? I want to stand out. 87 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:18,500 I want my grandkids to really stand out. 88 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,200 You know, I want to make up for all the failings I did with my 89 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,500 kids, right with my grandchildren. 90 00:05:25,700 --> 00:05:29,600 Imagine you connect with some of this, some of you are real 91 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,900 Sports Enthusiast. You want your team to stand out? 92 00:05:31,900 --> 00:05:34,900 You don't want them to have a, have an even season where they 93 00:05:34,900 --> 00:05:37,000 have as many wins as losses. Do you? 94 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:39,700 You want him to go all the way to the end. 95 00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:45,000 You want to win the big trophy? And sometimes it's hard there's 96 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,200 a lot of competition when it comes to standing out right 97 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:52,800 Brands once sales social media, once clicks networks want 98 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,000 ratings, they're all saying standout Stand Out stand out. 99 00:05:57,300 --> 00:06:00,900 We're in Romans chapter 3. Now, the book of Romans is the 100 00:06:00,900 --> 00:06:05,200 Apostle Paul writing to both Jewish and Gentile, Romans 101 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,600 Jewish being the nation of Israel and Gentiles literally, 102 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:13,500 everybody else in the church in Rome, trying to help them 103 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:18,200 understand these basics of what it means to be a Christ 104 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,000 follower. And when you think about Israel 105 00:06:22,300 --> 00:06:24,600 and we're in Romans 3, we're going to be talking about 106 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,100 Israel. It was, it had a hard time 107 00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:30,400 standing Out Among the Nations. It was just a tiny little Nation 108 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,900 compared to these huge massive Empires. 109 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,700 And last week we learned a little bit about how the nation 110 00:06:37,700 --> 00:06:43,600 of Israel viewed itself and how it viewed its value and how it 111 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,400 kind of came into its own understanding of identity. 112 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:51,400 Now, the Glory Days of Israel were about 1000 BC about 3,000 113 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,600 years ago and it began with King David. 114 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,300 The, you know, the king who was a Shepherd who became a king and 115 00:06:58,300 --> 00:07:03,700 then his son Solomon, And the Pinnacle of Israel is a nation 116 00:07:03,700 --> 00:07:07,500 as you buy the rest of the world was during the reign of Solomon. 117 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:11,500 And then it was downhill from there after that they became a 118 00:07:11,508 --> 00:07:14,800 more and more oppressed people until they were entirely. 119 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:21,000 Oppressed 732 BC, 586 BC, they were literally deported out of 120 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,200 the country. And they were enslaved. 121 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:30,900 So they've had they had, they had that Pinnacle and then these 122 00:07:30,900 --> 00:07:34,300 lower times. But what they did through, all 123 00:07:34,300 --> 00:07:37,400 of that was they held onto their identity. 124 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:41,100 It's what brought them through those difficult times and it 125 00:07:41,100 --> 00:07:44,600 came in the form of a religiously rooted culture. 126 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:50,500 This Old Testament culture, that came from Moses on the mountain 127 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:55,100 came from the patriarchy. Abraham, all of that it came 128 00:07:55,100 --> 00:07:59,100 from, this language is ancient language, you know, Hebrew is 129 00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:02,600 still spoken daily in Israel and it's one of the most ancient 130 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:07,300 languages in the world and it came from their set of laws and 131 00:08:07,300 --> 00:08:12,200 customs and rituals that they held onto through all of that 132 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:18,100 time. The biggest part though, of this 133 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:21,600 Identity or this feeling that they had, was that they were 134 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,000 understood. They understood themselves and 135 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,400 the Bible talked about them as God's chosen people. 136 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:31,800 Like God didn't choose anybody else. 137 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,100 You didn't choose any of those other nations? 138 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:38,100 He chose us. He chose Israel. 139 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:43,799 He named it Israel. After Jacob's name, when he was 140 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:47,900 changed his name, change from Jacob to Israel. 141 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:54,900 That was something that God did, it was a privileged position and 142 00:08:54,900 --> 00:08:58,600 so they kind of felt like they had a Golden Ticket, a golden 143 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,200 ticket to the one true God. Like everybody else. 144 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,300 You can do whatever you want to do to try to approach God, but 145 00:09:04,300 --> 00:09:10,700 we are his chosen ones. We are his chosen people and 146 00:09:10,700 --> 00:09:13,400 you. See that resonating in these 147 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:18,100 early chapters in Romans if you've been doing the study, the 148 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:22,300 devotional guide, you know that you see how that's coming along. 149 00:09:24,100 --> 00:09:28,100 Now it is true that God did choose a people and that people 150 00:09:28,100 --> 00:09:33,300 was Israel and the Apostle Paul was one of those chosen people, 151 00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:38,300 he was Jewish and God did have a special relationship with them. 152 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:40,900 He had a covenant relationship with them. 153 00:09:41,100 --> 00:09:44,000 This is something a lot of us, may not understand but like you 154 00:09:44,008 --> 00:09:47,400 go back into the Old Testament, the book of Exodus chapter 20. 155 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,000 It's a famous chapter because that's the chapter that has the 156 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,300 Ten Commandments. That God wrote with his finger 157 00:09:55,300 --> 00:09:58,800 on Stone and gave it to Moses, who brought it down to the 158 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:00,700 people. And a lot of people would say 159 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:04,600 today, what we all want to live by the Ten Commandments, and 160 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,700 that's not bad because the Ten Commandments do reveal the heart 161 00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:13,600 of God, the justice of God, But did you know that? 162 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:17,500 That that decalogue that Ten Commandments was a covenant law. 163 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:21,300 It means it was between the Jews and God, it wasn't between us 164 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:23,300 and God. It was between the Jews and God, 165 00:10:23,500 --> 00:10:26,000 and when you read about it, there's actually a whole 166 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,800 process. They go go through where the 167 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,100 people adopt those laws has their own. 168 00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:33,900 And God says, on that basis. I will be your God and you will 169 00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:37,500 be my people. It was a covenant law with the 170 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:43,200 nation of Israel. Some of us might get that a 171 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,100 little mixed up but did that make them better than you? 172 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:53,600 No spiritually speaking, everything that was good came 173 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,800 from God. It wasn't because of them and 174 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,900 they actually have less excuse before God, then those who were 175 00:11:01,900 --> 00:11:05,600 not in the special relationship because they had all the 176 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:09,300 covenants in the promises and the rest of the Nations did not. 177 00:11:09,900 --> 00:11:12,400 Now, how do you relate to that? And how do I relate to that? 178 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,300 Because we're going to spend time here in Romans chapter 3. 179 00:11:16,300 --> 00:11:19,600 And we're going well, he's talking to A lot about Israel 180 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,600 and I don't know how we really connect with that. 181 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:27,700 Well, some of us have been Christians longer than others. 182 00:11:27,700 --> 00:11:29,000 Haven't we? How many of you have been a 183 00:11:29,008 --> 00:11:33,600 Christian longer than 10 years? Yeah, a lot of you have, but 184 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,900 some of you haven't and so, some might think, well, if I've been 185 00:11:36,900 --> 00:11:40,500 a Christian longer, you know, I'm a little bit more seasoned 186 00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:42,600 in my faith. I know a little bit more, you 187 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,300 should kind of understand that about me. 188 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:51,000 Some of us have Christian parents, so like maybe we're not 189 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,700 a dynasty yet, but but we were kind of brought up to this, you 190 00:11:54,700 --> 00:11:58,300 know, we're second generation third, maybe fourth generation, 191 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:01,400 because we've had Christian parents and Christian influence. 192 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:06,300 That way some of us maybe come from a long line of professed 193 00:12:06,300 --> 00:12:09,300 Christians. Some of us may have actually 194 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:11,700 been major players in the church, you know, maybe even 195 00:12:11,700 --> 00:12:14,000 held an office maybe even had a title. 196 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,700 You know, how they put, they put up pictures on the screens, and 197 00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:22,800 then there's like, Chiron below. It like, like worship leader or 198 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:30,300 Pastor or a teacher or yeah, elder or leader in some way. 199 00:12:31,100 --> 00:12:33,900 Maybe we get a title or held an office. 200 00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:37,800 Maybe we come from an influential church family, maybe 201 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,400 it was a financially powerful family. 202 00:12:42,900 --> 00:12:45,200 Maybe we were well networked in the community. 203 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,000 And so the church see us is really vital or important 204 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,600 because of all of our connections and networks. 205 00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:57,600 Maybe we were even on staff or are on staff maybe we've been 206 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:01,700 professionally trained, maybe we have a degree from a college 207 00:13:01,700 --> 00:13:04,400 that specializes in biblical knowledge. 208 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,600 Wow. Maybe we think that makes us 209 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,300 stand out. And we might get a little 210 00:13:12,300 --> 00:13:13,900 prideful believing our own press. 211 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,700 We might think we're better than everybody else. 212 00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:21,800 We may think that God favors us that we're in some sort of 213 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:28,200 privileged position. So we can relate. 214 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:31,800 To what we're going to read here in a minute. 215 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:36,300 From Romans Chapter 3, The Apostle Paul could certainly 216 00:13:36,300 --> 00:13:39,100 relate to that because he understood it all too. 217 00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:41,100 Well not only did he understand it? 218 00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:46,300 He actually lived it, he was a Pharisee, he was like the the 219 00:13:46,300 --> 00:13:53,000 rising star of Judaism. I mean, he not only lived it, he 220 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:57,900 literally killed for it, he put people in prison and had them 221 00:13:57,900 --> 00:14:02,300 put to death that were Christians because he was so 222 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:07,300 committed. To these beliefs of God's chosen 223 00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:11,400 people. But like a person who's overcome 224 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,600 an addictive behavior, he's become so sensitized to it. 225 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:19,800 He has no tolerance for it anymore and that's why he one of 226 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,700 the main reasons. He's writing Romans chapter 3. 227 00:14:22,700 --> 00:14:27,500 So let's begin together. Okay, verses 1 to 4 What 228 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:32,500 advantage then is there to being a Jew or what value is there in 229 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:36,800 circumcision, which is the sign of the Covenant law that God had 230 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,100 with them? Much in every way. 231 00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:43,400 First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of 232 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:44,500 God. That's true. 233 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,000 What if some Jews were unfaithful? 234 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:52,500 And there were plenty of them. You read about them all the time 235 00:14:52,500 --> 00:14:57,500 in the Old Testament will their unfaithfulness nullify, God's 236 00:14:57,500 --> 00:15:01,200 faithfulness, not at all. Let God be true. 237 00:15:01,300 --> 00:15:04,100 And every human being a liar. I mean, it's like he's setting 238 00:15:04,100 --> 00:15:05,800 these. He's sitting up there his 239 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,300 readers right now as it is written, so that you may be 240 00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:12,900 proved right when you speak and Prevail when you judge. 241 00:15:13,500 --> 00:15:16,300 So the Jewish readers right now in the Book of Romans are going. 242 00:15:16,300 --> 00:15:18,500 Yeah, preach it. Paul, let him have it. 243 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:20,000 Paul. We're those people. 244 00:15:20,700 --> 00:15:23,400 Just because we made some mistakes, doesn't mean we're any 245 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,800 less of God's chosen people. Yeah. 246 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,600 But Paul also knows there's an argument, that's going to start 247 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,000 in their heads, when he does the next part of the passage 248 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,000 starting in verse 5. But if our unrighteousness 249 00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:41,000 brings out God's righteousness more clearly. 250 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,500 What shall we say? So right when we're, when we're 251 00:15:44,500 --> 00:15:46,400 bad, it just shows how good God is. 252 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,600 Because you see the contrast that God is unjust and bringing 253 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,700 his wrath on us. I'm using a human argument. 254 00:15:54,700 --> 00:15:56,700 Certainly not. I mean, does God have the right 255 00:15:56,700 --> 00:15:59,000 to judge us? When we do things wrong? 256 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:00,700 Does he have the right to punish us? 257 00:16:00,700 --> 00:16:05,100 Because there are these laws, particularly the Covenant laws 258 00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:08,800 of the Old Testament. If that were so how could God 259 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,900 judge the world, someone might argue if my falsehood enhances 260 00:16:12,900 --> 00:16:16,700 God's truthfulness. And so increases his glory, why 261 00:16:16,700 --> 00:16:18,500 am I still condemned as a sinner? 262 00:16:19,700 --> 00:16:25,800 Why not say as some slanderously claim we say let us do evil that 263 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,600 good may result like the worse. I am it just shows how much 264 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:33,300 better God is. And so when the Apostle Paul was 265 00:16:33,300 --> 00:16:38,100 talking about Grace, the unmerited favor of God, and how 266 00:16:38,100 --> 00:16:41,300 you could have forgiveness of sins, and it wasn't based on 267 00:16:41,300 --> 00:16:43,800 your Works. Some people were interpreting 268 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,100 that as well. I can just be as bad as I want 269 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,100 because all that does is show how great God is. 270 00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:56,700 He goes. Their condemnation is just Hmm. 271 00:16:57,700 --> 00:17:01,500 Alright, so he's setting this up right now. 272 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:07,599 Now, I want to see verse 9 because verse 9 is summing up. 273 00:17:07,900 --> 00:17:11,000 Those first eight verses kind of in a single sentence. 274 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,000 Let's look at it. What shall we conclude then do 275 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,700 we have any advantage being juice? 276 00:17:19,700 --> 00:17:21,900 Not at all. For we have already made the 277 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:29,300 charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are under the power of 278 00:17:29,300 --> 00:17:34,400 sin. So Paul is saying that doesn't 279 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:36,400 matter if you're Jewish, doesn't matter. 280 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,800 If your Gentile doesn't matter. If you have these Covenant laws 281 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:46,100 or God's promises or if you're a person, like most of us that are 282 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:49,300 still listening to me. Now a gentile which means you 283 00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:53,300 didn't have that growing up. Are you don't have that Covenant 284 00:17:53,300 --> 00:17:54,600 law. Like they did. 285 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,500 We're all the same boat. It's full of holes and it's 286 00:17:58,500 --> 00:18:01,400 sinking. It's sinking in a sea of sin. 287 00:18:01,500 --> 00:18:05,700 Sin, because we are all sinners, and we're all in danger of 288 00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:12,100 drowning. Really drowning. 289 00:18:13,300 --> 00:18:17,700 Yeah, drowning drowning. If you understand how God views 290 00:18:17,700 --> 00:18:20,000 sin. So what I want you to do right 291 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,500 now is forget about how you view sin, because the way you view 292 00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:28,600 sin, often times is is like you rationalize it. 293 00:18:28,900 --> 00:18:33,800 You make excuses for it, you do comparative thinking, well, I'm 294 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:35,800 I've done this but I'm not done that. 295 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:43,100 Let's see how God views sin. So what Paul does here is he 296 00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:46,900 does a mash-up of basically three Bible books quotes, The 297 00:18:46,900 --> 00:18:51,500 Book of Psalms primarily and also Ecclesiastes and Isaiah and 298 00:18:51,500 --> 00:18:55,300 he says this in verses 10 through 18, listen as it is 299 00:18:55,300 --> 00:19:00,800 written, there is no one righteous not even one, there is 300 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,000 no one who understands. There is no one who seeks. 301 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:09,200 God all have turned away. They have together become 302 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,300 worthless, how you feeling so far? 303 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,200 Well, I'm great. I came to church and you called 304 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:19,200 me worthless Jerry. No, I didn't. 305 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:23,400 God did. Right there verse 12. 306 00:19:25,100 --> 00:19:28,400 There is no one who does good. Not even one. 307 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:34,700 Did you brush this morning? Their throats are open Graves, 308 00:19:35,100 --> 00:19:39,200 their tongues practice, deceit. The poison of vipers is on their 309 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,200 lips. Their mouths are full of cursing 310 00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:45,200 and bitterness. Wow, change your socks. 311 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:51,400 Their feet are Swift to shed blood ruin and misery mark their 312 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,800 ways and the way of peace. They do not know. 313 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:59,400 There is no fear of God before their eyes and some of you are 314 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:00,400 going. Yeah. 315 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:06,800 Get those people. You notice the pronouns in that 316 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,800 passage all the pronouns? Are they them in there? 317 00:20:11,900 --> 00:20:15,000 It's so nice to be able to pronounce judgment on everybody 318 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,600 else like they do on social media. 319 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,100 Isn't it? But what we understand, when we 320 00:20:23,100 --> 00:20:25,800 read Romans 3 is, this is really not. 321 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,300 They them in there. This is, I me and mine. 322 00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:32,200 This is me. This is who you are. 323 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,100 This is who I am. That's the hard truth. 324 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,400 Now I know we live in a post truth culture where there's your 325 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,000 truth and there's my truth and you do you and I'll do me. 326 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,800 But the truth is that there is the truth and that's God's 327 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:50,700 truth. And the truth about Sin is the 328 00:20:50,700 --> 00:20:54,500 truth about you. Because we are sinners. 329 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,700 It's the truth about us. And the truth is that you 330 00:20:59,700 --> 00:21:02,200 haven't just failed. Hear me now. 331 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,900 You fail enough and that label becomes the definition of who 332 00:21:07,900 --> 00:21:09,900 you are. You haven't? 333 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:11,300 You're not to someone who's failed. 334 00:21:11,300 --> 00:21:14,700 You are a failure. Thanks Gerry. 335 00:21:14,700 --> 00:21:18,600 It's been great coming here this morning, feeling the 336 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,700 encouragement. That is emanating from your 337 00:21:21,700 --> 00:21:24,000 words. Yeah. 338 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:29,000 You're going to, I'm a failure. Yes, you are. 339 00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:32,600 And I am, I'm the guy standing up here telling you how to live 340 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,600 your life, and I'm a complete total abject failure. 341 00:21:38,700 --> 00:21:41,500 We have all failed God's standard of righteousness and 342 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:45,100 like verse 9 says, we are all under the power of sin. 343 00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:50,300 It has power over you. It has power over us all and 344 00:21:50,300 --> 00:21:56,100 just like 9 verse 19, says, we are all accountable to God and 345 00:21:56,300 --> 00:22:00,900 we have no defense before. God great. 346 00:22:02,300 --> 00:22:07,600 All those excuses, all those rationalizations zero. 347 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,800 Well, let's admit it Romans. Chapter 3 is ominous. 348 00:22:15,500 --> 00:22:19,800 It defines a stark truth of who we are and what we've done and 349 00:22:19,808 --> 00:22:25,200 what we're presently doing. Just a failure, in a sea of a 350 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:35,600 world full of failures. and then, I'm so glad you stayed 351 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:41,300 here till now. Because there are two little 352 00:22:41,300 --> 00:22:48,000 words, not Bible words. Not four syllable words. 353 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:53,100 Not even what you might consider spiritual words. 354 00:22:53,100 --> 00:22:57,300 But these two little words. Change everything. 355 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:05,800 And those words are these. but now, But now everybody say that 356 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:11,400 with me ready but now claim it as your own but now, yeah, oh 357 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,500 and then everything is scripture just turns on a dime. 358 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,700 These two little words, they speak hope and change and 359 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:26,700 victory into the darkness. But now Verse 21. 360 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,500 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been 361 00:23:31,500 --> 00:23:35,300 made known to which the law and the prophets testify. 362 00:23:36,100 --> 00:23:39,200 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ. 363 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:43,200 To all, who believe there is no difference between Jew and 364 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,500 Gentile for all, have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 365 00:23:47,500 --> 00:23:52,900 and all are Justified freely by his grace through the Redemption 366 00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:56,900 that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ, as a 367 00:23:56,908 --> 00:24:00,800 sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood to be 368 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,600 received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his 369 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:08,900 righteousness because in his forbearance he had left the sins 370 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,800 committed beforehand unpunished. He did it to demonstrate his 371 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,000 righteousness at the present time. 372 00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:20,600 So, as to be just in the one who justifies Those Who Have Faith 373 00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:26,100 In Jesus, praise God. What does it say? 374 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:30,400 As dark as the sin is? So, bright is the light that 375 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,800 dispels it. It was the whole plan from the 376 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:39,800 beginning. Since I was and am presently 377 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:44,000 powerless against sin, I can have access to a righteousness 378 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:49,700 that is greater than my sin. I don't deserve it, I didn't 379 00:24:49,700 --> 00:24:54,600 earn it but now I have it and it all became available to me and 380 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,400 to you from Jesus and through Jesus Christ. 381 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:05,200 How did that happen? Because when he shed his blood 382 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:11,500 on the cross, He covered my sin. When he shed his blood on the 383 00:25:11,508 --> 00:25:16,000 cross, he purchased me with his power. 384 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,900 He raised me up the same power that raised Jesus from the dead 385 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:27,100 raises me up and freely which means I can turn it or purchase 386 00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:32,800 it he gave me and he gave you his grace. 387 00:25:34,700 --> 00:25:42,700 Powerful. My preaching teacher and Bible 388 00:25:42,700 --> 00:25:47,100 College used to say Jerry before you ever get a person saved, you 389 00:25:47,100 --> 00:25:52,000 have to get them lost. And that's exactly what the 390 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,200 Apostle Paul is doing here. He wants you to understand the 391 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:58,800 weight, the gravity of your sin because that helps you to 392 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:04,600 understand the value and the beauty of your deliverance 393 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:06,400 through Christ and what he did for you. 394 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:12,000 And for me, I want you to go back to Romans 3:23. 395 00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:20,100 Powerful verse often-quoted. For all have sinned and fall 396 00:26:20,100 --> 00:26:25,100 short of the glory of God. It's also probably one of the 397 00:26:25,100 --> 00:26:27,400 most misquoted scriptures in the Bible. 398 00:26:28,300 --> 00:26:31,300 Because people tend to want to quote it this way for all have 399 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:34,700 sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 400 00:26:34,900 --> 00:26:40,400 And that is not what it says because both of those verbs are 401 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,000 not in past tense or past perfect tense. 402 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:48,300 It says for all have sinned and fall present active indicative. 403 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,800 Fall short of the glory of God. That means this all of us are 404 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:54,300 sinners. All of us, have sinned. 405 00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:57,600 But even right now at this very moment, where you sit or where I 406 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:02,100 stand at this very moment, you are in the process of falling 407 00:27:02,100 --> 00:27:06,100 short of God's glory right now. You think you're good, you think 408 00:27:06,100 --> 00:27:08,000 you're doing something good? You think you've earned 409 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,900 something. You think you have some Divine 410 00:27:09,900 --> 00:27:13,400 privilege? Nope, you fall, short, right 411 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,100 now, you fall short and I fall short. 412 00:27:17,900 --> 00:27:20,600 Of the glory of God. This is not something that's 413 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,600 just in the past. Listen, I have to believe that 414 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:25,500 that's true. I have to own it. 415 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,500 I believe it. I accept it. 416 00:27:27,500 --> 00:27:33,800 That's me. But that's not all because I 417 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,200 have verse 24. Do you have it? 418 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:39,800 I have it. Do you have verse 24 or do you 419 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,700 just have 23 verse? 24 says this. 420 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:50,100 It says, and all are Justified freely by his grace through the 421 00:27:50,100 --> 00:27:53,600 Redemption that came by Jesus Christ. 422 00:27:55,300 --> 00:27:58,500 Wow. Hey, that's true. 423 00:27:59,500 --> 00:28:03,700 That's true through faith. And the grace, that comes from 424 00:28:03,700 --> 00:28:07,500 Jesus Christ. I have something even more 425 00:28:07,500 --> 00:28:10,000 powerful than the weight of my sin. 426 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,600 That's true. I receive it. 427 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,100 I believe it. I accept it. 428 00:28:13,100 --> 00:28:15,300 That's me. Only, that's me now, Now. 429 00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:20,900 That's me standing in Grace. That's me. 430 00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:30,500 Receiving that by faith. that is the but now me We all have. 431 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:38,800 The me who I was or who I am. But do you have the bat? 432 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:44,800 But now you Have you accepted that? 433 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,200 Have you come to Christ for that? 434 00:28:50,100 --> 00:28:54,500 And 1779. A poem was written. 435 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:01,400 Very well-known poem. It was set to music 61 years 436 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,300 later. In 1830. 437 00:29:05,300 --> 00:29:09,300 But it was often quoted before it was ever set to music. 438 00:29:10,700 --> 00:29:14,400 Written by a man who kept in the ship. 439 00:29:15,900 --> 00:29:21,600 That trafficked in slaves. He wrote Amazing Grace. 440 00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:26,700 How Sweet? The Sound? 441 00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:32,900 It's saved. A Wretch like Me. 442 00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:35,100 Oh, he's reading. Romans 3. 443 00:29:35,100 --> 00:29:36,400 When he was writing this with me. 444 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,800 He saved a Wretch. Like Me. 445 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:44,900 I, once was lost. Everybody say it, but now. 446 00:29:45,100 --> 00:29:49,600 Oh, you see it? But now, I'm found was blind. 447 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:54,800 But now I see. Oh, he saw it. 448 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:57,700 He figured it out. It's different now. 449 00:29:57,900 --> 00:30:01,100 I'm a failure. Oh yes, I'm a failure. 450 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:05,500 But now I have faith. I'm at a dead end but now I have 451 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:08,600 purpose and a destination. I'm powerless. 452 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:12,300 But now I have the power that raised Jesus from the dead. 453 00:30:12,500 --> 00:30:15,200 I'm broken. But now I have someone to put me 454 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:17,400 back together. I'm guilty. 455 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:21,700 But now I'm pardon, I'm dirty. But now I've been washed in the 456 00:30:21,700 --> 00:30:24,000 blood of the Lamb. I'm worthless. 457 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:29,000 But now, I am the Pearl that he paid the great price for For I'm 458 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,300 defeated. But now I have a champion. 459 00:30:31,300 --> 00:30:34,800 I'm isolated and alone but now I have someone who will never 460 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:38,300 leave me or forsake me I'm ashamed but now I have a 461 00:30:38,300 --> 00:30:40,400 testimony. I'm dead inside. 462 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:46,000 But now he lives within me there, just two little words 463 00:30:47,300 --> 00:30:52,400 Just two little words. But they make all the 464 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,800 difference. They make all the difference. 465 00:30:58,900 --> 00:31:02,700 And all of the things. That are holding you back and 466 00:31:02,700 --> 00:31:07,600 holding me back. All of the things that scream, 467 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:12,000 you're not worthy of this. You don't deserve this. 468 00:31:14,300 --> 00:31:17,700 All of the self justification and rationalization and 469 00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:21,800 comparative thinking all is blown away, like dust. 470 00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:27,600 In those two little words. Because they make all the 471 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:31,800 difference. We're moving to a time of 472 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:39,200 decision. What about you? 473 00:31:41,900 --> 00:31:43,700 Because it really all boils down to this. 474 00:31:44,900 --> 00:31:48,100 Is whether or not you've had a but now moment, see there's a 475 00:31:48,108 --> 00:31:52,700 lot of you all of our locations you right now here. 476 00:31:53,900 --> 00:31:57,700 You're still thinking that God has some sort of a Santa Claus 477 00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:00,800 God. You know, I mean by that, making 478 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:03,100 a list checking it twice going to find out who's naughty and 479 00:32:03,100 --> 00:32:05,700 nice. Like he's making a list of you. 480 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,500 Like I just hope I have more good things on my list and bad. 481 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,700 There's still some of you that are still trying to buy your way 482 00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:14,500 into heaven, trying to earn your way into heaven and you just 483 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:17,600 can't reminds me of the very old story course. 484 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,400 A lot of old preacher stories have something to do with the 485 00:32:21,408 --> 00:32:23,500 Pearly Gates and st. Peter and I don't know. 486 00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:30,300 He became the hall monitor. But he kind of did. and the guy 487 00:32:30,300 --> 00:32:34,600 that died the Christian man who died and Standing at the front 488 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,600 of that gate, and there's a sign over the gate that says entrance 489 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:46,000 requires 100 points and he didn't understand what that 490 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,600 means. Talk to Simon Peter about it and 491 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,100 he said, well, just tell me. Tell me what would you do? 492 00:32:52,100 --> 00:32:55,000 What you do down there? So he begins. 493 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,300 And he starts talking about all these things that he did way. 494 00:32:58,300 --> 00:33:01,400 He raised his family and relationship he had with his 495 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:06,300 spouse. No way that he worked loved 496 00:33:06,300 --> 00:33:11,000 Jesus at home. Peter goes, man, you're making 497 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,800 my day. I mean, I've had a lot of people 498 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,200 up here today, but wow, that was awesome. 499 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:22,100 That's worth a point. Well, that was a little 500 00:33:22,100 --> 00:33:26,200 disconcerting. So then he started in saying all 501 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,500 the things he'd done in the church and the offices, he held 502 00:33:28,500 --> 00:33:31,500 in the money he gave and people that he encouraged in the people 503 00:33:31,500 --> 00:33:34,000 that he witnessed during the conference, is he went to and 504 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:35,600 Simon. Peter is blown away and he goes. 505 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,300 Wow. You are a smoking-hot Christian 506 00:33:38,300 --> 00:33:41,500 man. That is another point. 507 00:33:47,300 --> 00:33:51,300 Eventually, this man is reduced To the point where he has 508 00:33:51,300 --> 00:33:54,900 nothing left to say and you know where this is going. 509 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:01,000 To when he is completely humbled and all that's left. 510 00:34:02,500 --> 00:34:07,100 Is to say when I was a little boy, my Sunday school teacher. 511 00:34:07,100 --> 00:34:14,400 Talk to me about Jesus. And I told her that I wanted him 512 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:20,800 to be my savior and my Lord. I didn't know much. 513 00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:30,300 But I knew I wanted that. And Simon Peter said, 98 points. 514 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:37,400 Because nothing else matters. The only thing that matters is 515 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:42,100 what you do with Jesus. And right now you have an 516 00:34:42,100 --> 00:34:44,199 opportunity. If you've been kicking the 517 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:46,100 tires, it's time to start lighting. 518 00:34:46,100 --> 00:34:54,000 The fires Top Gun reference by that would There's going to be 519 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,100 somebody right over there by that baptistery. 520 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,700 That would be more than happy to talk to you about next steps 521 00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:09,200 because you don't need the Holy Spirit trying to influence you 522 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:14,100 on the outside anymore. You need to be living on the 523 00:35:14,100 --> 00:35:18,200 inside and he wants to come and live in your heart. 524 00:35:19,300 --> 00:35:21,400 And there's nobody stand in your way, but you today. 525 00:35:22,500 --> 00:35:24,100 You go over there and talk to somebody. 526 00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:28,100 Some of you. Well, you've made that decision 527 00:35:28,100 --> 00:35:31,900 for Christ. Oh, but that doesn't mean that 528 00:35:31,900 --> 00:35:36,200 you're not struggling in the lower story, it doesn't mean 529 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:39,200 that the Daily Grind of this life isn't getting you down. 530 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:43,000 And you're starting to wonder if God's even real or if he's real 531 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,300 in your life and you're at a crisis of belief. 532 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:53,200 That's what these steps are for. These steps are for you to come 533 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:54,800 up here. Humble yourself before God. 534 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:58,400 And remember that God isn't surprised by anything. 535 00:35:59,900 --> 00:36:03,800 That he's every bit as much now in control as he was yesterday 536 00:36:04,100 --> 00:36:08,400 and 1,000 years ago. some of you may not be carrying your own 537 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:14,000 burden, maybe you're carrying someone else's and it's breaking 538 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,300 you down. And you don't know what to do. 539 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:25,400 You don't have the answer. maybe you come up here, because Jesus, 540 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:32,400 give me an answer. When a clue you in, Jesus isn't 541 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:36,100 going to give you the answer. He is the answer. 542 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:45,000 He's the answer to every question. and when, when Jesus 543 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:54,500 comes in regardless of the storm outside, it's peace be still in 544 00:36:54,500 --> 00:36:57,900 your heart. Because that's what he can do 545 00:36:57,900 --> 00:37:06,100 and only he can do. so, if you've had enough, Of the weight 546 00:37:06,700 --> 00:37:13,200 and the pressure of this world. And you're willing to come up 547 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:15,400 here and just get down on your knees before God, nobody will 548 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:20,200 bother you. Just take some time with him. 549 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:25,600 Turn the burden over. If you don't know Jesus yet, 550 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:31,300 intimately and personally, why don't you let him put the smile 551 00:37:31,300 --> 00:37:33,200 on your face? Said he put on all those other 552 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:35,000 faces. You saw this little while ago. 553 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:38,500 I don't know if I could keep it up. 554 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:42,200 It's not about that. You'll be with you. 555 00:37:44,900 --> 00:37:49,800 Told this last service. My kids were little and I would, 556 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:53,300 they were learning to walk. I remember when they would take 557 00:37:53,300 --> 00:37:56,400 a like a step, let's pluck one step and then they fall down. 558 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,300 And I used to pick him up by their back collar and smack him. 559 00:37:59,300 --> 00:38:03,000 Real hard on the rear end, get in their face and say, you walk. 560 00:38:06,700 --> 00:38:10,400 No, I didn't. I did the same thing. 561 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:14,400 The rest of you did. They got that one step in front 562 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,200 of them and I got down in front of them so they could I was on 563 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:20,300 their love and I started clapping my hands and I said, 564 00:38:20,300 --> 00:38:22,900 you're so great. There's nobody as good as you 565 00:38:23,700 --> 00:38:27,500 because eventually One Step became two and two became four 566 00:38:27,900 --> 00:38:29,500 before long. They were walking and then 567 00:38:29,500 --> 00:38:31,600 running and then getting into all kinds of other trouble. 568 00:38:34,300 --> 00:38:39,500 And we are his children. He who began a good work in, you 569 00:38:39,500 --> 00:38:42,700 will be faithful to complete it. Let him do it. 570 00:38:44,100 --> 00:38:46,700 Would you stand with me in Jesus name? 571 00:38:46,700 --> 00:38:48,000 Heavenly Father. We come to you. 572 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,500 And we ask do what only you can do. 573 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:57,900 Help us to stay out of your way and just yield just surrender to 574 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:02,900 the truth. Yes, this is who we are but now 575 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:10,400 because of Jesus, everything can change, everything has changed. 576 00:39:12,500 --> 00:39:15,500 Father, I pray that we would Embrace that. 577 00:39:15,500 --> 00:39:20,200 Now, In Jesus name. Amen. 578 00:39:19,707 --> 00:39:20,200 Amen.