1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,600 It's wonderful to be here today with all of you to worship God 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,920 in spirit and in truth. And we do have some visitors 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,920 among us from other congregations here today, 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,400 several different congregations. We also have perhaps some 5 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,880 visitors from the community. If we do, we want you to know 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,880 that you are our honored guest. And we say welcome. 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,360 About 8:30 this morning, Chris had the lesson today and about 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,680 8:30 this morning he texted and did all that he could to be here 9 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:31,840 and give the lesson. He's not feeling well. 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,520 And so I'm a last minute fill in and what I decided to do is 11 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,880 preach A sermon that I like to preach throughout the country. 12 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,000 I preached this sermon in 2019 here. 13 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,840 So it's been a while since I preached it here, although I 14 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,560 have preached it at the Memorial Day meeting on Sunday morning 15 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,000 and I preached it throughout the country. 16 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,600 Maybe you have heard it, maybe you remember it, maybe you 17 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,040 haven't, but it's incredibly encouraging. 18 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,920 The passages that I want to talk with you this morning. 19 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,800 The first passage that's under consideration for our 20 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,800 introduction is really one of the most encouraging passages in 21 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,920 all the New Testament, and it's found in second Peter chapter 1 22 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,480 and verse 11. For so an entrance will be 23 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,760 supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our 24 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,040 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's the first passage under 25 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,120 consideration. The second one is this also 26 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,880 written divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, but written by 27 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:34,560 Peter in first Peter chapter 4 and verse 18. 28 00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:40,080 Peter says, now if the righteous 1 is scarcely saved, where will 29 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,240 the ungodly and the Sinner appear? 30 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,160 So here's my question before us this morning before we go any 31 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,080 further. Will the righteous be scarcely 32 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:53,400 saved, or will the righteous have an abundant entrance into 33 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,560 the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? 34 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,840 In other words, what my question is this before us today? 35 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,800 Is Peter talking about the same thing when he said abundant 36 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,039 entrance in one passage? And is he talking about the same 37 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:13,640 thing when he says the righteous scarcely be saved? 38 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,560 We'll investigate that in great detail this morning. 39 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,480 But first of all, let's just back up regarding the context. 40 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,480 And we're all about context. We're about context and we're 41 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,240 about application, as you've heard me say, I don't know a 42 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,440 million times. So let's go back to second Peter 43 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,840 chapter 1 and verse 11. And let's notice context by 44 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:38,520 backing up to verse 5, Peter says, but also for this very 45 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:43,720 reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue to 46 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,320 virtue, knowledge to knowledge, self-control, to self-control, 47 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,560 perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness, 48 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,000 brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. 49 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,520 This is often times referred to as the seven Christian graces or 50 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,160 the seven Christian virtues. Let's notice briefly what they 51 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,760 are. First of all, after we become a 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,280 Christian, we add to our faith something. 53 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,800 In other words, we have a responsibility to apply things 54 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,520 in our life. And may I just slip this in real 55 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:21,720 quick in my career, I guess you might say, forsake of a better 56 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,440 term as a preacher, wherever I go throughout the United States 57 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,760 and even outside the United States, 15 trips to the 58 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,480 Philippines, this is a question that comes to me a lot. 59 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,600 How can I successfully, practically live the Christian 60 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,480 life? What can I do in my life so I 61 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,800 don't be tossed to and fro? In other words, I'm weak in the 62 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,240 flesh, I make mistakes, and I keep kind of falling down. 63 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:50,120 So what can I do practically? And I love practical passages. 64 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,200 That's why I love preaching anything Jesus preached. 65 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,640 But these are some of the most practical things that you can 66 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,920 apply in your life and I can apply in my life. 67 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,760 After we become a Christian, we add to our faith. 68 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:03,760 We add to our obedience to the gospel. 69 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:08,400 The following #1 virtue. Virtue actually means moral 70 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,360 excellence. It's your quality of life. 71 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,960 That actual Greek word for that. And I don't know how to 72 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:15,320 pronounce it, so I'm not going to try. 73 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:16,720 I'm just going to tell you what it means. 74 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:22,200 That word in application, in its origins, came from the word that 75 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:27,680 literally means something, that is someone performing heroic 76 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:31,120 deeds. In other words, it is 77 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,160 excellence. And may I just suggest I 78 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,800 appreciated the prayers. I appreciated what people have 79 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:39,080 said. We are frail. 80 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,200 We are, we are not perfect. We are in the flesh. 81 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:47,160 I love that because we are. We are frail in the flesh. 82 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:52,680 That's all true and you will never in your life, in your 83 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,720 pursuit of it, you will never be perfect. 84 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,600 Jesus is the only one that was ever perfect. 85 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,200 You know, I remember coaching football. 86 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,440 I remember having football coaches that said we're going to 87 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,440 practice perfect. There's no such thing. 88 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:11,160 There is no such thing for perfection. 89 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,480 So let's try to never strive for it. 90 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:16,560 Let's strive for something that is attainable. 91 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,000 You know what that is? Excellence being the best you 92 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,920 can be today. Yeah, you can do that. 93 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,320 You know what that's called? That's called moral excellence 94 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,800 or virtue. Then what Peter says you're 95 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,280 going to add something else too. You're going to add knowledge 96 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,720 that means correct insight. That is this, by the way, 97 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:37,400 knowledge that is properly understood, comprehended and, 98 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,320 yes, applied. So when people say today what's 99 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:43,760 true for you is good for you, it's true for me, it's true for 100 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,040 me, and it doesn't matter. And there's no such thing as 101 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,760 absolute truth, not according to the Scriptures. 102 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,480 This word knowledge means that we pursue knowledge that is 103 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,560 correct insight of the word of God that is properly 104 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,360 comprehended, understood and applied in our life. 105 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,400 So that kind of flies in the face of anyone that would say we 106 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:04,720 can't know the truth. Yeah, we can't. 107 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:06,480 What else? It's going to lead to 108 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,520 self-control. That means to hold oneself in. 109 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:11,760 I'm going to tell you, you're going to need that one. 110 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:13,920 We're going to all need that one. 111 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:15,920 Holding our self in self-control. 112 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,160 How many times in our life have we wished we would have held our 113 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,640 self in our tongue, in our behaviour in, but we let it fly. 114 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,320 self-control. You're going to need that one. 115 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,440 How about this perseverance in the new King James? 116 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,720 It means endurance. It is the ability, by the way, 117 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,440 to have the courage and the conviction to do what is right 118 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:42,440 regardless of the opposition. In other words, it's a word that 119 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,200 actually means I'm going to hang in there and I'm not going to 120 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,520 quit, even if it takes my own life. 121 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,480 Do you know the difference between a person that's 122 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,440 courageous and a person that's a coward? 123 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,920 You know what the difference is? The difference between a 124 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:05,160 courageous person and a coward is our response to fear and 125 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,640 opposition, because everybody's going to have opposition. 126 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,520 Everybody's going to have fear. Your response to it determines 127 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,440 whether you are morally excellent or whether you have 128 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,480 the perseverance, whether you have the ability to do what's 129 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:18,880 right regardless. Then what? 130 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,000 How about godliness? Let me just say, godliness is 131 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:27,400 not your personal goodness. I have people that say, oh, he's 132 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,120 godly, the kind of wonderful. No, it's not. 133 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:32,160 It's not godly. You know what godliness is? 134 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:36,200 Godliness emphasizes God and not you. 135 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:41,240 Godliness is literally having a practical awareness of God in 136 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,320 every aspect of your life. In other words, what you're 137 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,000 saying is this. If God, if I have a practical 138 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,440 awareness of God in every aspect of my life, it's going to help 139 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,200 me make better decisions. It will demonstrate itself or 140 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,000 manifest itself in righteous living. 141 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,640 That's on my part, but it's based on not my goodness. 142 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,360 It's based on God's goodness, a practical awareness of God in 143 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,320 every aspect of my life. Then what? 144 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,920 Oh, I got some stuff to do. I got to demonstrate that in 145 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:15,600 brotherly kindness. That's the word Philadelphia, by 146 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:17,840 the way. I was born there, but I'm a 147 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:19,520 Dallas Cowboy fan, so I don't claim it. 148 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,680 OK. And sometimes, because 149 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:28,040 Philadelphia is called the city of brotherly love, if you ever, 150 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,080 if you ever watch a sporting event in Philadelphia, they're 151 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,520 not necessarily living up to their name, OK? 152 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,400 Brotherly kindness, though, is the way that we ought to 153 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:43,400 demonstrate our life and our behavior to other people in our 154 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:50,280 quest for agape love, self sacrificial, selfless love. 155 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:54,360 OK, that's what they are. Notice how they work in my 156 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,160 pursuit of moral excellence, my quality of life. 157 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,080 I add that to my faith. It's going to be based upon a 158 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,600 correct insight and correct knowledge of the scriptures. 159 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,400 It's going to give me the ability to have self-control, to 160 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,440 hold myself in. It's going to give me the 161 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,400 strength to have perseverance and endurance to do what's 162 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,160 right. It will be based upon a 163 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,440 practical awareness of God in every aspect of my life. 164 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,240 Then I will demonstrate that life in brotherly affection. 165 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:27,680 All in my quest of agape love, self sacrificial love. 166 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:29,680 Great stuff. But guess what? 167 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:31,880 It's not a one way St. It goes the other way too. 168 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,960 And it's not a one time thing. Going to prove it's not a one 169 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:37,200 time thing in a minute too by the way. 170 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,160 Goes the other way. Watch how it goes the other way. 171 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,000 I think it's beautiful in our quest for self sacrificial love. 172 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,280 I'll demonstrate that in brotherly affection based upon a 173 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,880 practical awareness of God in every aspect of my life. 174 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,400 Give me the strength to endure the ability to have self-control 175 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:56,120 and hold myself in based upon correct insight of the word of 176 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,400 God in my pursuit of moral excellence. 177 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,920 I'm going to tell you something that is a lifetime worth of 178 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,760 work. And if you're struggling, go 179 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,880 back to these things in your life. 180 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,320 So context Now let's go to the next verse. 181 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:17,200 For if these things are yours and abound, what things? 182 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:23,840 Those things. If these things are in you and 183 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:28,480 abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the 184 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,240 knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 185 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,080 Wonderful. For he who lacks these things is 186 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,640 short sighted even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was 187 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,880 cleansed from his old sins. Again, context. 188 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,720 Look at the next verse for if you do these things, what 189 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,680 things? Those seven things, OK, And 190 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:52,000 they're abounding, not just a one time thing. 191 00:10:53,160 --> 00:11:01,760 You will never stumble. I got to let that sink in. 192 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,800 You will never stumble. The King James says you will 193 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,000 never fall. Barnes says it means this. 194 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:14,600 You will certainly be saved. Remember that song we just sang? 195 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:18,640 Think of stepping. Now at last we are at home. 196 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,040 Are those just words that we sing or can we really have hope 197 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,200 that we've got eternal life? Are we just saying the words and 198 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:36,120 hoping it? So you will certainly be saved. 199 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,520 It doesn't mean that you will never sin. 200 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:40,680 It doesn't mean that you can't fall. 201 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,680 It means you will never sin in such a way if those things are 202 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:48,600 manifested in your life, you will never fall in such a way to 203 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,960 lose your salvation because you permanently sever your 204 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,000 relationship with God. And that's what it's talking 205 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:55,680 about. Because you know what? 206 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:57,520 You're going to stumble. You're going to make mistakes. 207 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:59,840 Guess what? We get to ask God to forgive us 208 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:01,720 like our brother prayed a moment ago. 209 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,600 We've already asked for forgiveness and now as we go and 210 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,880 move forward into our worship service to you, I don't know 211 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,000 about you, but man, I try to get in. 212 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,160 Please forgive me of my sins and every prayer. 213 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,320 I want to slip that one in every time. 214 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,440 I mean meal time. I mean driving down the road 215 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,000 time. I mean all time just in case. 216 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:25,760 Ain't it great to the blood of Christ? 217 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:30,040 Just knocks that one out too. Ain't that great when you have 218 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,200 the blood of Christ? All right. 219 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:38,200 Now notice we will never fall in such a way to lose our 220 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:40,520 salvation. This fits first John chapter 5 221 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,040 and verse 13. I love this passage. 222 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,800 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of 223 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,880 the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 224 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,520 I've used this passage in other sermons too. 225 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:55,560 It's a great, great passage. It's a message of assurance. 226 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,360 The word know here in this passage is the Greek word that's 227 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,880 found 13 times in the Epistle of John. 228 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,600 It doesn't mean to hope. It doesn't mean to think. 229 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,840 It doesn't mean to own, just maybe. 230 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,360 It doesn't mean that you grow gradually in the knowledge. 231 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:14,920 It means this, that you may know in the here and now for certain 232 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,240 that you have eternal life. You got assurance. 233 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:20,200 Now. There's a difference between 234 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:25,160 assurance and arrogance. We're not talking about that big 235 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,040 difference, and there's a difference between confidence 236 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:33,360 and conceit. The passage here is a passage of 237 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:41,200 assurance, confidence, and certainty, but not audacity or 238 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:42,880 irreverence or because we've earned it. 239 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:44,600 Let me just a couple things about that. 240 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:51,200 First of all, we have to realize when the Bible says this, when 241 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,200 we've done everything that is required of us, what are we? 242 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,120 We are still deemed an unprofitable servant, saved by 243 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:01,680 grace. Now, if you've ever owned a 244 00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:05,960 business and you've ever had an employee and you've ever taken 245 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,880 that employee and contracted that employee service out to 246 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,320 somebody else, and you pay that employee a certain amount of 247 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:16,920 money, but then you charge double or more for that person's 248 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:19,080 services to another client, guess what? 249 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:24,080 That person is a profitable servant because that person is 250 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,080 actually doing more for you than you're doing for him. 251 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:30,320 When it comes to salvation, Guess what? 252 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:32,960 You do everything in the world for Jesus Christ. 253 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,200 It won't matter. You are still an unprofitable 254 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:36,840 servant saved by grace. Why? 255 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,320 Because you will never do more for Jesus than he's done for 256 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,280 you. Makes sense, right? 257 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,040 I'm not saying once saved, always saved, and I'm not saying 258 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:48,920 that we deserve or earn our salvation. 259 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:52,360 We are still an unprofitable servant saved by grace. 260 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:57,080 That's what I'm saying. But may I also suggest this, 261 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,520 even though we don't believe in the concept or the doctrine of 262 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,200 once saved, always saved, Because we know we can fall from 263 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,320 grace and we know that. Why else would we ask for 264 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,600 forgiveness when we sin? So we know that, but you know, 265 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,960 sadly, sometimes our people believe in the doctrine or act 266 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,160 as though they believe in the doctrine of once saved, forever 267 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:24,360 lost. If you can't know for certain, 268 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,440 you're not really understanding what the Word of God is saying. 269 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,200 Now, the same author that gave the assurance is the same one 270 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:38,480 that gave the conditions. First John chapter 2 beginning 271 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:42,680 in verse 3. Now by this we know that we know 272 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,200 him. This word no means to know for 273 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,360 certain. This word no means to have a 274 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:49,800 relationship with. So I know there's a lot of 275 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:51,760 people that would love to have a relationship with the Lord. 276 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:53,960 There's a lot of people that think they have a relationship 277 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:57,360 with the Lord. I love this one passage gives 278 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,600 the assurance now we're going to get some conditions here we go 279 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:06,800 by this what we'll get to that we know for certain that we have 280 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:13,000 a relationship with him if what if we keep his commandments. 281 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,480 He who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a 282 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,440 liar and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word. 283 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:23,000 Truly the love of God is perfected in him by this we know 284 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,840 that we are in him. First of all, this phrase here 285 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,280 keep his commandments and keep his word is the same thing 286 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,760 because his words are contained in the commandments and his 287 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,760 commandments are contained in his words so they go hand in 288 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,320 hand. Bottom line, keeping means a 289 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:45,720 perpetual action. It is a continual striving, an 290 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,760 ongoing thing. But I want to notice this phrase 291 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,160 right here. If we do that, the love of God 292 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:56,680 is perfected in him. Now, some scholars say, and it's 293 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:03,640 interesting because there's a big divide as to what is John 294 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,880 actually talking about here? Is he talking about man's love 295 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:13,440 for God is perfected or made complete in our obedience to 296 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,280 him? Or is it God's love for man 297 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,480 being made complete in our obedience to Him? 298 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,560 And there's a number of scholars, there were 12 that 299 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:27,720 said it's our love for God. And still others noted scholars 300 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,400 say no, it's God's love for man. Why are we arguing in that? 301 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:38,880 Both, isn't it Both. God so loved the world that He 302 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,600 gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him 303 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:43,520 should not perish, but have everlasting life. 304 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,720 God loved the world when we were yet sinners, when we were not 305 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:51,400 worthy in any way, right. His love in giving us salvation 306 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:55,680 is obviously manifested or made complete by our obedience, so we 307 00:17:55,680 --> 00:18:02,200 can give us salvation. So it's obviously included is 308 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:11,520 God's love for man. But notice God's love for man. 309 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,840 That's true, but it's also our love for God. 310 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:20,520 Do you know that you will do greater things out of love than 311 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,560 you will ever do out of obligation or you will ever do 312 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,160 out of fear? And I learned that coaching 313 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,640 football. I was coached old school. 314 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:35,280 I'm getting up there. I played football in the 70s and 315 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,080 the 80s and I'm going to tell you what we were coached. 316 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,960 Vince Lombardi, old school. They didn't give us any water 317 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:41,160 because they thought it made your week. 318 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,280 Boy, they know so much better now about hydration. 319 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:49,080 That was just a ridiculous time, like 1 football player, said. 320 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,040 Vince Lombardi, he treated us all the same, all the same, no 321 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:53,960 favoritism, treated us all like dogs. 322 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,600 That's the era that I grew up in as a player. 323 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,680 You know what I learned as a coach so many years later when I 324 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:03,440 was a coach for 12 years? That doesn't work. 325 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:06,880 If I want to get the most out of a player, I'm going to get the 326 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,080 most out of a player. If he, if it's out of love, if 327 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:13,360 he loves and respects me more than if he's afraid of me, and 328 00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:16,200 if there's mutual respect, you're going to get more. 329 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:22,360 Don't you understand that our love for God is completed or 330 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:27,040 made manifest or perfected as the Scripture says, when we obey 331 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:33,560 Him, it's demonstrated in our love in action. 332 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:45,080 In other words, if we do these things, verse 11 for So an 333 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,680 entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting 334 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,880 Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 335 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,800 In other words, we supply the virtues and God supplies the 336 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,680 entrance. I've said this before. 337 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,680 You've heard me say it. I'm going to tell you right now, 338 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,520 if I make heaven, I'm not squealing in. 339 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,920 Now, if the only way to get in here and into heaven is squeak 340 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:13,840 in, I'm in. I'll take it, Brother. 341 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,840 Sister, we're going to blow the doors off. 342 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:25,760 We're going to have an abundant entrance into the Everlasting 343 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,560 Kingdom. I can't even fathom what that's 344 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,920 going to be like. Come on in, you made it. 345 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,760 Well done, Thou good and faithful servant, enter into the 346 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,520 joys of your Lord. Abundant. 347 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:45,520 When we supply those 7 virtues in great amounts, then God 348 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,600 supplies the entrance in great amounts too. 349 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,480 That's just Bible all right. How does the everlasting Kingdom 350 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,280 of this passage relate? Going back to the prophecy of 351 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:00,880 the Kingdom in Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44, Notice in the days 352 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,440 of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom 353 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,080 which shall never be destroyed, and the Kingdom shall not be 354 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,320 left to other people. It shall break in pieces and 355 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:16,400 consume all these kingdoms and notice it will stand forever. 356 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:18,920 Don't ever think the Kingdom is going anywhere. 357 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:24,920 It will stand forever. And remember what Jesus said. 358 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:32,000 My Kingdom is within you. He's reigning in our hearts now. 359 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:33,560 And you know what? That ain't going anywhere. 360 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,320 Don't ever think that the Kingdom is going anywhere. 361 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,600 Sometimes we go to places. Sometimes the congregations of 362 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,880 the body of Christ dwindle down and we close doors. 363 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,160 But if you think about it, somebody actually did a survey. 364 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,800 When you think about the total number of Christians in the 365 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,160 Kingdom, it's the same. Maybe they've moved to other 366 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,120 places, maybe people have died, maybe more have been converted. 367 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,040 But don't think for a minute the Kingdom is going anywhere. 368 00:21:58,040 --> 00:21:59,280 Why? Bible says it's going to stand 369 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:05,080 forever. All right, in Daniel chapter 2 370 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,120 and verse 44, this is talking about the Kingdom that would be 371 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:11,760 established and was established in Acts chapter 2. 372 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,360 In second Peter chapter 1, the everlasting Kingdom is the same 373 00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:19,560 Kingdom that Jesus is going to give to his Father when he comes 374 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,920 back. So to be in the Kingdom then got 375 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:24,840 to be in the Kingdom now. And you know what? 376 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,800 It's going to stand forever. That's beautiful. 377 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,240 Notice, remember Daniel prophesied hundreds of years 378 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:35,800 before the establishment of the Kingdom that this great event 379 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:41,280 would take place #2 Peter in our passage is discussing events 380 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,040 that will transpire when at the end of the world. 381 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:50,560 OK, but during the time between Daniel's prophecy and Peter's 382 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:55,720 writing, notice the following 5 facts this happened 1. 383 00:22:56,320 --> 00:23:00,640 Daniel, Joel, and Isaiah all prophesied about the 384 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:05,240 establishment of the Kingdom. 2 Many years later, here comes the 385 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,320 forerunner, John the Baptist, the Lord's cousin. 386 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:12,520 He preached that the Kingdom of heaven is in hand #3 During his 387 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,640 ministry, Jesus preached that some standing there would not 388 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,200 taste death until they saw the Kingdom coming with power. 389 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:24,040 Then Acts 2 Peter invites men to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, 390 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:27,000 resulting in their being added to the church by the Lord. 391 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:31,760 Acts 2 and 47. And finally, from Acts 2 on, the 392 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:36,080 Kingdom is spoken of as being in existence, as evident by Paul's 393 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,840 teaching in Colossians 1, Hebrews 12, and John's teaching 394 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,080 in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 9. 395 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,040 Not going to be a future Kingdom. 396 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,040 Not going to be an earthly Kingdom coming. 397 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,200 Kingdom has already come. We don't pray for a future 398 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:51,920 Kingdom. It's already here. 399 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,480 And by the way, the only future reign of Jesus is in the heart 400 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,040 of somebody that doesn't know Him yet and someday comes to 401 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:04,280 Jesus and then Jesus will reign in that person's heart when they 402 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,440 come to the Kingdom too. But there won't be another 403 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:07,800 Kingdom. It's this Kingdom. 404 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:11,680 And the everlasting Kingdom that Peter talks about is the same 405 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,160 Kingdom we're in now that he's going to add add a give to his 406 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,200 father on that day. Paul said it this way, First 407 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:23,680 Corinthians 15 and 24. Then comes the end when he 408 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:27,360 delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to 409 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:30,360 all rule and all authority and all power. 410 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:32,920 In other words, it's everlasting. 411 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:40,160 Because of this, those who are saved will have no worries, and 412 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:41,560 those that are lost, they'll have no hope. 413 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:48,640 You know one of the greatest things about the Kingdom, the 414 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:55,640 church, the body of Christ. One of the greatest things about 415 00:24:55,640 --> 00:25:02,400 being a part of that is as long as you still have life and you 416 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:09,600 have breath, it is not too late. A person can come to Jesus at 417 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,400 the latter stages of their life. A person can be away from the 418 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,920 Lord. And by the way, sometimes we 419 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,560 phrase it like this. We talk about when people drift 420 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:22,840 or people go away or fall away. We kind of sometimes, and let's 421 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:24,560 be careful of our wording, please. 422 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:26,920 Sometimes we phrase it like this. 423 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,040 We phrase it kind of like they left our club. 424 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:34,880 It's not a club when people fall away. 425 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,040 Please get this. They're not leaving the club, 426 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:46,960 they're leaving the Lord, and I don't care how long that is, as 427 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:52,400 long as they still have breath in life, they can come back to 428 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:58,200 the Lord and get right. And you know something, the 429 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,760 beautiful thing about it is there's always hope. 430 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:08,880 But when time shall be no more and we make heaven, we got no 431 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,320 worries. We're never losing it ever. 432 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,360 Never losing salvation, ever. But those that are lost, 433 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:19,960 unfortunately, have no hope. That's why it is everlasting. 434 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:23,360 OK, so that's that passage. That passage is talking about. 435 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:25,960 Our first text is talking about the end of time. 436 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:28,680 It's talking about the Judgement day. 437 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,160 It's talking about when time shall be no more. 438 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:33,040 And that's the abundant entrance. 439 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,560 But let's go to first Peter 4 and 18, and let's notice what 440 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,680 that's saying here. Is this talking about the end of 441 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:41,920 time? For the time has come for 442 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,920 judgement to begin at the House of God. 443 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,680 And if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those 444 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,360 who do not obey the gospel of God? 445 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,040 Now if the righteous 1 is scarcely saved, where will the 446 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,840 ungodly and the Sinner appear? Here's my question. 447 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,000 Is this passage talking about the end of time? 448 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:10,120 No, it is not. Let me just tell you what I've 449 00:27:10,120 --> 00:27:15,680 heard my whole life. If the righteous or baptized 450 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,560 believers, by the way, I'm going to prove all this, I promise. 451 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:26,720 If baptized believers are going to with difficulty be saved, 452 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:31,640 even some interpreting it like this, if baptized believers, 453 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:35,680 only a few of them are going to make it, then the Sinner and the 454 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:39,360 ungodly have no chance at all. I've heard it interpreted like 455 00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:42,640 that my whole life. Here's my question, folks. 456 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,000 Why would Peter, same author, why would Peter, divinely 457 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,040 inspired by the same Holy Spirit, say in one passage, if 458 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,640 we do these things and they're abounding in us in our life, 459 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,160 we're not going to be barren, we won't be unfruitful in the 460 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,520 knowledge of Jesus Christ. We will never stumble, and we 461 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,520 will have an abundant entrance in the everlasting Kingdom. 462 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,440 Why would Peter say we're going to have that in one passage and 463 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:08,480 in another passage say they barely make it because that 464 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:09,920 passage is not talking about the end of time? 465 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:11,480 Stay with me, please. Context. 466 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,600 When did Peter write this about AD 65? 467 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:22,040 What was going on in AD 65? Many Christians were being 468 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:27,520 persecuted in AD 65 as they were pointing toward or looking to an 469 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:31,520 event that was going to happen in AD 70. 470 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,920 So Peter is making reference in this context in this passage in 471 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:42,080 AD 65, writing these words about an event that's going to happen 472 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:45,320 in AD 70. What was that event? 473 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:51,960 The destruction of Jerusalem, The destruction of Jerusalem. 474 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,640 You know, Matthew talked about the destruction of Jerusalem. 475 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,280 Matthew's account describes it as Jesus spoke these words. 476 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:01,880 Let's notice please. Jesus predicted the destruction 477 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:03,320 of the temple. Notice. 478 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,880 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his 479 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,240 disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple. 480 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:14,240 And Jesus said to them, do you not see all these things? 481 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:18,160 Assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon 482 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,240 another that shall not be cast down. 483 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:27,160 Then there were 7 signs by the way of the end of time and the 484 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,080 end of the at the end of the times and the end of the age in 485 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,400 verse 3. Now as he sat on the Mount of 486 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:38,160 Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us 487 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,280 when these things be and what will be the sign of your coming 488 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:46,400 and the end of the age. In other words, three questions. 489 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:53,040 1 of it you, you got to stick to context or we get a little 490 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:57,720 messed up. Three questions, one event. 491 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:03,080 Notice what they are. Jesus then said this. 492 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:04,400 Well, first of all, here's the questions. 493 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:09,000 Tell us when these things be question #2 and what will be the 494 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,160 sign of your coming and #3 the end of the age. 495 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,320 And why did they ask that? Because Jesus just said that. 496 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,280 What did Jesus do about the things that he was just now 497 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:23,240 talking about? He gave 5 remote signs and one 498 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,640 immediate sign. Here are the remote signs. 499 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:31,560 Number one, false Christs. And Jesus answered and said to 500 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,440 them, take heed that no one deceives you. 501 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:38,160 For many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will 502 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,640 deceive many. What he's saying is I'm going to 503 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:46,560 give you 5 signs that are remote, but the end is not yet 504 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,920 for what? The destruction of Jerusalem 505 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:51,680 about. What about the things he's 506 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:53,600 talking about? The beginning of the chapter I'm 507 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:57,480 going to give you 5 signs. One of those signs, there's 508 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,600 going to be false Christs. Many are going to come in my 509 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:02,760 name and saying that they're me and they're going to deceive 510 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:04,480 many. What about this one? 511 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:06,680 Oh, and people get this out of whack. 512 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,120 It's amazing to me how many people don't know anything about 513 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,280 Jesus, but they know everything about Matthew 24 and the Book of 514 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:13,680 Revelation and the end of the world. 515 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,400 Somebody said to me the other day, hey, can we talk about 516 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:20,640 Revelation? I said, sure, as soon as we 517 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:23,240 learn about Jesus, let's do that first. 518 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,920 Let's talk about Jesus first. Let's learn the Gospel first. 519 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,240 We'll get into all that, but it seems to me that people think 520 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:34,160 that they're an expert regarding the end of time. 521 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,200 And one of the reasons is because they misunderstand 522 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:41,720 Matthew 24 as being signs or predictions to the end of the 523 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,800 world. And this may ring a bell because 524 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:46,560 of today's things going on, but there's going to be wars. 525 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:50,040 Oh, wars. I knew it was coming. 526 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,560 Better sell our possessions to go to the mountain. 527 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,120 Hey, we got a war going on, even a 12 day one. 528 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:00,480 Matthew 24 and six. You will hear of wars and rumors 529 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:02,200 of wars. See that you are not troubled 530 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:04,560 for all these things must come to pass. 531 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:09,560 Please notice. But the end is not yet. 532 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,320 That was the second thing. How about the third thing? 533 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,120 There's going to be famines, Matthew 24, seven, and eight, 534 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,000 for a nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against 535 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:20,480 Kingdom. And there will be famines, 536 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:23,600 pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 537 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:27,960 And notice these are the beginning of sorrows. 538 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:32,920 What else #4 there's going to be affliction, Matthew 24, nine, 539 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:34,960 and 10. Then they will deliver you up to 540 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:38,200 tribulation and kill you and be hated by all nations for My 541 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,920 namesake. And then many will be offended, 542 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:45,080 will betray one another, and will hate one another. 543 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,480 And then #5 this proves, by the way, this is in the 1st century. 544 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:55,800 It proves it. Divine inspiration, I'm talking 545 00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:02,000 about miraculous divine inspiration will come before the 546 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,760 destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus is talking about. 547 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,240 Mark 13 and 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, 548 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:12,080 do not worry beforehand or premeditate that you will speak, 549 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,080 but whatever is given you in that hour, speak that. 550 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,200 For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 551 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:21,960 Notice Luke's account, Luke 2114 and 15. 552 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,480 Therefore, settle it in your hearts not to meditate 553 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,960 beforehand on what you will answer for I will give you a 554 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:33,840 mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to 555 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,360 contradict. This proves this had to have 556 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:41,640 happened in the 1st century in the age of Miracles, before the 557 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,640 Word of God was completed, because they've received the 558 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:49,840 miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit divinely only in the 1st 559 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:59,580 century. As one man put it this way, I'll 560 00:33:59,580 --> 00:34:01,220 just give somebody else a little credit. 561 00:34:02,660 --> 00:34:03,740 So you don't think I just said it. 562 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,280 These men were to speak with the Holy Spirit's supernatural 563 00:34:08,679 --> 00:34:12,840 guidance, and no man has had that power since the 1st 564 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:17,560 century. OK, so before the gospel was 565 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:22,520 preached to the whole world, I mean, I'm sorry, before 566 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:27,239 Jerusalem fell, the gospel was preached to the entire world 567 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,920 before Jerusalem fell. And by the way, sometimes we 568 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:35,199 think we can't get the gospel to the whole world. 569 00:34:35,199 --> 00:34:40,280 I'm going to tell you what they had Chariots and sandals, man. 570 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,639 We got airplanes. We got podcasts. 571 00:34:43,639 --> 00:34:48,000 You know, our podcast here. I can no longer travel abroad 572 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,239 and preach in the Philippines anymore. 573 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,719 I've been there 15 times. My work now has to be because my 574 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:56,760 health has to be America. But I'm going to tell you right 575 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:01,440 now, our podcast that cost us nothing is reaching 110 576 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:06,120 countries. We are preaching the gospel to 577 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,760 the world. So don't think it's not possible 578 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:11,280 to preach the gospel to the world. 579 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:15,040 And you know what, Before Jerusalem fell in 8070, they did 580 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:20,360 it then. Wow, it's amazing to me they did 581 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:24,640 it then. Notice Matthew 24 and 14. 582 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,360 And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the 583 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:32,720 world as a witness to all the nations and notice, and then the 584 00:35:32,720 --> 00:35:37,520 end will come. All of these are remote signs. 585 00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:41,520 OK, remote signs. Now we've got one immediate 586 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:46,440 sign, Matthew 24 and 15. Notice, therefore, when you see 587 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,320 the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet 588 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,680 standing in the holy place. And by the way, the holy place 589 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,400 is Jerusalem. When you see it in Jerusalem. 590 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:02,640 And Luke leaves out, no doubt by the way, as to an immediate sign 591 00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:06,640 through 21, beginning in verse 20. 592 00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:12,280 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know 593 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:17,800 that it's desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea 594 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:21,720 flee to the mountains, Let those who are in the midst of her 595 00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:25,600 depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 596 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:29,760 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which 597 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,800 are written may be fulfilled. Now, some people have 598 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,720 misunderstood this and have sold their possessions. 599 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:40,040 I remember, man, I think me and Tina, we've been married 34 600 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:41,840 years now. And I remember it was our 25th 601 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:44,000 anniversary. We took a little trip and I 602 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,680 remember it happened on that weekend. 603 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:48,840 There was a fellow, he's dead now, but he predicted the end of 604 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:52,960 time. And when he did, he did this 605 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,320 mathematical formula and calculation, all this stuff. 606 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:59,040 People literally gave their possessions away. 607 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,440 They sold their possessions. This guy's in California too, by 608 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:04,880 the way. And everybody went to a place, a 609 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:09,080 mountain there waiting for the Lord to come back, only to have 610 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:12,240 to come back down the mountain and go back home, 611 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:15,480 misunderstanding that right there. 612 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:19,360 You can't know when the end of time is, folks, because the 613 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,160 Bible says from the words of Jesus, nobody knows but my 614 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:25,440 Father. Only you can't predict it. 615 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:29,120 You can't see it coming. It's going to come as a thief in 616 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:31,200 the night. It is. 617 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,760 Now, there are things in the Scriptures that tell us that 618 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,560 things are going to get bad and worse, and we get that. 619 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:38,640 But you can't see, oh, wait a minute. 620 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,440 These events happened. Chris and I were having a Bible 621 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,800 study at Starbucks one time. Right after that, we had an 622 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:45,800 earthquake here in Bakersfield. You probably remember that. 623 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:47,200 Yeah. And this guy and I just made a 624 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,080 comment. I said, yeah, Somebody said to 625 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,600 me today that I was telling Chris I didn't know anybody else 626 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:54,760 was listening. I said, somebody said, yeah, at 627 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:56,480 earthquakes and the time's coming. 628 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:58,280 So I told Chris that we were laughing and this guy walks by, 629 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:02,600 He goes, Amen. He believed it, too, 630 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:12,520 misunderstanding these passages. OK, we're wrapping up, so stay 631 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,440 with me. Jesus spoke these words when? 632 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:24,320 By AD 33, Fast forward to AD 65, five years before the 633 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:28,160 destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus foretold about, and you 634 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:30,360 know what's on Peter's mind? Persecution. 635 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:35,280 That's what's on his mind as his pen was guided by the Holy 636 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,640 Spirit and spreads ink on parchment. 637 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:43,920 He says this, beloved, do not think it's strange concerning 638 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:49,320 the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing 639 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:53,320 happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of 640 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,560 Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may 641 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:00,600 be also glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the 642 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:03,960 name of Christ, blessed are you for the spirit of glory and of 643 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:07,440 God rests upon you. On their parties blasphemed, on 644 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,880 your parties glorified. But let none of you suffer as a 645 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:15,280 murderer, a thief, an evil doer, or a busy body in other people's 646 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:18,040 matters. Let if anyone suffers as a 647 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:22,160 Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God 648 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:27,880 in this matter. OK, persecutions on his mind. 649 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:32,640 8060 fives on his mind, pointing toward 8070. 650 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:38,640 Then the next verse context for the time has come for judgment 651 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:42,640 to begin at the House of God. And if it begins with us first, 652 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:45,760 what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of 653 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:47,960 God? And then he says this. 654 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:54,800 For if the righteous 1 is scarcely saved, where will the 655 00:39:54,840 --> 00:40:01,080 ungodly and the Sinner appear? First of all, the word scarcely 656 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:05,680 means with difficulty. It's what it means. 657 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,840 James McKnight says it this way. That's this is what he's talking 658 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:14,040 about when God thus punishes the nation. 659 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,320 If the righteous Jews who believe in Christ with 660 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:23,000 difficulty can be saved, where will the ungodly and the sinful 661 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:27,040 part of the nation show themselves saved from divine 662 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:31,480 judgement? Josephus's report I love this. 663 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:37,440 In the destruction of Jerusalem, Josephus said that 1.1 million 664 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:44,400 Jews perished. 100,000 Jews were taken captive in the destruction 665 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:47,880 of Jerusalem. And yet while the Jews suffered 666 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:54,480 starvation, slaughter and capture, I love this, all of 667 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:59,160 their fellow Christians escaped. I can't even say that. 668 00:40:59,280 --> 00:41:00,640 Every time I say that I get the chills. 669 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,320 I just, You think that's an accident? 670 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:11,960 He went on to say, for whatever reason, the Roman armies pulled 671 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:17,400 back and every Christian got out. 672 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:22,640 You know what that is? That's the righteous scarcely 673 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:27,200 being saved in the destruction of Jerusalem. 674 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:36,720 Notice all of their fellow Christians got out. 675 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:45,360 Second Peter 189 For if these things are yours and abound, you 676 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:50,720 will be neither barren. Going back to our passage, you 677 00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:54,160 will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of 678 00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:57,080 our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is 679 00:41:57,080 --> 00:41:59,320 short sighted even to blindness, and has forgotten they was 680 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:01,840 cleansed from those sins. Again this passage, the end of 681 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:04,360 time. Other passage, destruction of 682 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:11,720 Jerusalem. Notice in this passage in verse 683 00:42:11,720 --> 00:42:16,760 10, if you do these things that are found in the seven Christian 684 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:24,560 graces, please get that you will never stumble and an entrance 685 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:27,160 will be supplied you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of 686 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:34,280 our Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know, Come on now, I got 687 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:41,320 to get you. I can know I'm saved, and so can 688 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:45,000 you. Not because you've earned it, 689 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:49,400 not because you checked the list, but because, as John says, 690 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:51,840 you've kept his words, you've kept his commandments, you've 691 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:54,120 applied these things in your life, and here's the practical 692 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:56,360 pattern. You're not going to fall away 693 00:42:56,360 --> 00:43:05,120 and you're going to be saved. That is some of the most 694 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:07,280 encouraging things I could ever think about in my life. 695 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:13,760 I hope it is for you too. Just know this in order to 696 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:17,520 understand the Bible, and I'm finished, but in order to 697 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:21,600 understand the Scriptures, you got to be very careful with 698 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:25,280 somebody cherry picking verses here and cherry picking one over 699 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:27,880 there and then drawing a conclusion that's not based on 700 00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:31,200 context. If you want to understand the 701 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:34,640 Scriptures, you got to study context in order to make the 702 00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:38,120 right application. If you got the wrong context, 703 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,680 you will automatically have the wrong application. 704 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,720 Understanding those two passages in application, one ain't 705 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:49,160 referring to us, the other is let's focus on that abundant 706 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:51,320 entrance into the everlasting Kingdom. 707 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:54,920 But how do you do it? What's the first thing you got 708 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:58,080 to do? Remember I said the love of God 709 00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:02,200 is perfected in our obedience, That is our love for God and 710 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:05,000 God's love for us. So the first thing we got to do, 711 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:06,960 we got to obey. What's the first thing we got to 712 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:08,040 obey? We got to obey the gospel. 713 00:44:08,040 --> 00:44:09,840 How do you do that? First thing you do is hear the 714 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,480 Word of God. Romans 10/17 So faith comes by 715 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:15,760 hearing and hearing by the word of God What else you got to 716 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:17,800 believe with all your heart. Hebrews 11 and 6. 717 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:21,200 Without faith it's impossible to please Him, for he who comes to 718 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,520 God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those 719 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:28,040 who diligently seek Him. Then I got to make a change. 720 00:44:28,240 --> 00:44:31,240 I got to do something else in my life, not just believing. 721 00:44:31,480 --> 00:44:34,680 I got to lead my life in such a way way of change which is what 722 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:36,960 it's called repentance of my sins. 723 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:39,560 Acts 17 and 30. Truly these times of ignorance 724 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:43,720 got overlooked but now commands all men everywhere to repent. 725 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:46,240 Now I'm ready to make the greatest statement I will ever 726 00:44:46,240 --> 00:44:49,680 make and that is to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God. 727 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:52,680 Acts 837. Then Peter said if if you 728 00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:53,920 believe with all your heart you may. 729 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:57,800 And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the 730 00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:00,600 Son of God. Upon taking these steps you're a 731 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:03,640 fit candidate to go to the point of salvation to contact the 732 00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:06,920 blood of Jesus and have your sins washed away by being 733 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:09,640 baptized for the remission of sins. 734 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,680 Mark 1616. He who believes in his baptized 735 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:15,640 will be saved. He who does not believe will be 736 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:18,280 condemned. Is it necessary? 737 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:22,760 First Peter 321 The light figure where in the even baptism doth 738 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:27,680 also now save us, not the putting away the filth of the 739 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:30,280 flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the 740 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:32,680 resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you've never taken those 741 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:34,360 steps, we'd love to assist you in that. 742 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:36,720 But maybe you have. Maybe there's just something in 743 00:45:36,720 --> 00:45:38,200 your life. It's not what it should be. 744 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:40,240 All right, fix it, repent of that. 745 00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:42,040 Confess that. We'll pray with you and for you, 746 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:43,680 and God will forgive and restore. 747 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,520 If you want to be the class, come forward while we stand and 748 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:47,040 while we see.